Clash
by keoo19
Summary: It was supposed to be an easy escort mission. But what was easy when you had a hotheaded Kunoichi and a stoic Ninja? Especially when their names are none other than Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi. KakaSaku, Slight SasuSaku. Rated M for Language & Content.
1. Unpredictable Predicament

**Disclaimer: **This story is solely for the entertainment of readers. I don't own anything of or pertaining to Masashi Kishimoto!

_A/N- This story may be mildly suggestive. Also, this story's pairing is Kakashi and Sakura. Though Sakura is 22, Kakashi is 36. If there are any problems with that pairing, please don't flame! Read at your own risk! Review!_

**Clash- Chapter 1**

**Unpredictable Predicament**

It was _supposed _to be an easy escort mission.

"I think I seriously hate my life now." Her voice portrayed how exasperated she was with the man beside her.

But what was easy when you had a hotheaded Kunoichi and a stoic Ninja? Especially when their names are none other than Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi.

"Oh come on, Sakura-_chan._ It's not like we're chained up in enemy territory, waiting for our Hokage to come and rescue us before the torture starts and _possibly_ initiate the Fifth Great Ninja War. It could be worse." Kakashi gave her a cheeky grin with this statement.

"But we _are_ chained up in enemy territory! I still don't see how you seemed to have 'misplaced' Tsunade-shishou's stamp of approval to get into the damned Grass country."

She gave him a second to let her words sink in. When she turned to look at him, it looked like he was falling asleep.

"Oh Kami."

If she could punch him, she would. But just like him, she was chained up. So a kick would do good to satisfy her needs.

"_Sakura-channnn! _I'm in _pain._" He moaned and whimpered much like a kicked puppy.

"I think they were right to drug you, oh great Copy Nin Kakashi. It seems you lose all inhibitions. Along with your duty, honor, and dignity." She rolled her eyes and stifled a giggle.

"Dig what Sakura-chan?" He said as he looked around. Possibly searching the perimeters for a shovel.

"Dignity baka-sensei. Dignity." He didn't know, did he?

"What do you mean dignity? I couldn't have more right now!" He said as he shoved his chin as far up into the air as he could without forcing a headache upon himself from the drugs.

"You're naked," She said as she tilted her head downwards and waited for his eyes to follow. "You're high, and all it seems you want to do now is chill. I think I've just about lost all sense of respect for you since you got us into this mess in the first place, Kaka-_sensei._" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh Sakura-chan. Though I didn't quite catch most of what you said there, I'm going to go on a limb and say it has something to do with my incapacitation. And if I'm so incapable, why can't you think of something?" He gave her the most pointed look he could muster at the point.

He was right, and that made her frown. She was supposed to be thinking of a way to bust them out of here, not bagging on Kakashi for things way out of his control. Except for misplacing the scroll. That was totally his fault.

_**-Flashback-**_

"_Do you have Tsunade-shishou's stamp of approval?"She said while giving him a pointed look._

"_Mm." Another noncommittal grunt. She'd have to take that as a yes. Though she had to be sure. Kami knows this man can forget with his nose stuffed in that stupid book he reads._

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Yes, Sakura. What do you take me for?" He finally looked up._

_She then felt embarrassed for asking the question. He may be lazy, but he was Kakashi. He wouldn't put off the smallest tasks. Especially on a mediocre mission like this._

"_Well, you are getting old…" She muttered._

"_What was that, Sakura-chan?"_

_She could've sworn she said it low enough for him not to hear. Damned technical specialist._

_**-End Flashback-**_

She is totally going to have bragging rights on this one when he becomes sober.

It's been hours since they've been 'escorted' to Grass Country's interrogation room. She really didn't want to be on this mission. She didn't know why she was on it in the first place. She was Anbu, damn it. She wasn't supposed to be assisting her ex-sensei on escort missions. No matter how important the man. This place was dark, it smelled moldy, and Kakashi was annoying her to death with just his presence. She didn't know if that was possible, but he did it. That can go among the other accomplishments he has to boot.

But if this was how he acts when he's high, it's not a far cry from his usual overbearing and arrogant self. Thank Kami his superiority complex was gone. She couldn't even ignore the fact that he was naked. Did they have to strip him? She could barely keep herself from looking at him. At least she wasn't blushing. Physical Examinations could do that to a person. He may not have the biggest penis she's seen, but he sure was one of the well-rounded owners.

"Sakura?"

"Y-yes?" If he saw her looking, he would never let her hear the end of it.

"I have to piss." Inconvenience averted. Wait, what? Oh God. He was going to piss.

"Kakashi, don't—" He was pissing. She turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut so tight, she started to see colorful circles behind her eyes.

"All done." And then he started to shake.

There has to be someone, anyone listening to her that can end her life right now.

He really didn't feel good. Thinking made his head throb. His tongue was dry, and he could only open his eye for a few minutes at a time before they started to hurt. He had no business being on this mission. His skills were way too valuable to be wasted on being an escort. Maybe he should've sent his mission report in on time like Tsunade-sama ordered. But where would the fun be in that? And he really couldn't help it that time. He's been meaning to get his alarm fixed. Then when he finally did get up, there was no more ink. He had to get ink. So all in all, he wasn't actually taking his time to get the report in. He just wasn't rushing.

She gave him a stupid escort mission. It was either the mission or leave, and again, his skills couldn't be wasted. And then Sakura. Always so pissed. She didn't understand that this wasn't his fault and yells at him every other minute. If he were her, he would try to focus on a way to bust their asses out of there instead of pointing out every flaw Kakashi had at the moment which _wasn't his fault._

"Oi, Sakura-chan. Though I didn't quite catch most of what you said there, I'm going to go on a limb and say it has something to do with my incapacitation. And if I'm so incapable, why can't you think of something?" She paused before answering. So _now_ she realizes it.

"Kakashi, my chakra's gone, so I can't break us out of these chains. I think we have to wait for Shishou to come and get us." She sighed deeply.

"That's fine with me." He really looked like he was content where he stood.

"Kakashi…" She said with a deep sigh.

"Sakura, you need to chill a little. We don't have any priorities to worry about. No extra shifts at the hospital, no more being overworked by Tsunade-sama, and no more worrying about Sasuke-kun PMSing. If we die here, at least you have me Sakura-chan." Maybe he shouldn't have said that. He saw the pain in her eyes and regretted what he said. But he didn't exactly have the best control over his mind right now.

"Right."

The fact that she felt as if she was about to cry worried her. She was supposed to have shut away her feelings two years ago with the ending of Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura and Sasuke. They were the couple just waiting to happen. He was supposed to be her knight in shining armor…or mesh lining. Was it because she didn't want to rush into sex? She knew Sasuke was commanding, but basically barking at her to take her clothes off wasn't exactly passionate.

But she didn't get a chance to see how passionate he could be.


	2. Heartache

_I don't own Naruto, blah blah. This chapter has some drama in it, so please don't hate me. There will be KakaSaku in the later chapters, but for now, it's SasuSaku, I like those kinds of mix ups._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>2 Years Ago…<strong>_

Sasuke forcefully grabbed her shirt.

"Take it off," he growled.

She started to lift up her shirt. She didn't have a chance to take off her bindings after training, so she would have to peel them off slowly because of the sweat. But Sasuke couldn't wait. Actually, he wouldn't wait. He ripped the remaining of her shirt off and started to pull at her bindings, burning her skin from the intense friction in the process.

"Sasuke-kun, hold on it hurts," That was the first time she felt as though she was going to cry.

Her face was flushed, although not from arousal anymore. She was getting angry at the way he was forcefully pulling at her bindings, willing them to tear.

"Sasuke stop." She was trying to pull his hands off her bindings; her skin felt like it was on fire now. He was going to peel her skin off with the bandages if he kept this up. And it didn't look like he was going stop anytime soon.

"Aghhhh! Sasuke STOP!" then she was overtaken by anger. She caught him by surprise and smacked him in the face. She used a minute amount of chakra. That was by habit. Luckily she had enough will power to minimize it. But she knew it would surely bruise. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing.

"Sasuke-kun, I—" She then realized her mistake. Sasuke didn't like to be bested by anyone. Naruto he could probably handle. But Sakura? That was like getting bested by a third-rate genin. And he was a _jonin._

"Get out!" he shouted, pushing her away.

He didn't really think much of Sakura. That's why when she persuaded him to come back after he killed Danzo, he still thought of her as the crazed fan-girl he believed to be so annoying. He needed to revive his clan. She was still in love with him so…why not? With her strength and intelligence, his sharigan eyes and tactical mind, their offspring would be an excellent Shinobi.

She was supposed to listen to what **he** said. If he wanted to rip off her bindings, he damn well would. When she slapped him, it was…well, a slap to the face. And he was sure it was bruise. He could already feel it swelling up. Now he was pissed.

"B-but, Sasuke—" she felt hot tears welling up behind her eyes.

"I said Get _Out!"_ He shouted. If it was possible, his voice got even darker. She jumped.

She had impulses. The impulse that plagued her then was to get rid of what was hurting her. But damn it she wanted their first time to be special. Not like a captain barking out orders at their subordinates.

"Sasuke-kun I…" But she didn't get to finish her sentence. He shoved her clothes and sandals into her hands and was pushing her out the door. She had half a second to slip her ripped mesh shirt on before the door was slammed behind her and she was pushed into the cold.

She started to cry. And she ran. She ran until she couldn't. And that left her at the training grounds. She punched and kicked until it started to rain. Even then she didn't stop. She decided to slice at the raindrops as if those were her true enemies. She then slumped to the ground as if in defeat. For the second time that night, she cried. She cried until her insides twisted, telling her to stop. But she couldn't stop. Her tear drops molded with the rain as she looked up into the darkening sky. She lowered herself to the wet grass. She didn't have a place to go, anyways. Sasuke's house was her home. Sasuke was her home. He was her being. She thought he was happy with her. At least, she knew _she_ was happy with him. She believed they were destined to be together, as much as she believed she was destined to be a medic-nin. But in the end, all he wanted was an egg. A stupid egg to be a placeholder for his sperm until it produced offspring.

She didn't want to have to be that way anymore. She didn't want to be weak, or cry at every tragic moment in her life. She didn't want to depend on Sasuke, Naruto, or anyone for that matter. She wanted to lock away her emotions. There was only one way to do that. Those were final thoughts before sleep and exhaustion overtook her.

* * *

><p>She didn't know where she was, or who took her there. When she woke, she saw a tuff of silver peeking out from on top of the couch. There was an oversized jonin shirt on her person, and it certainly wasn't hers. And her panties were gone. Where the hell was she? She took a sweep of the bachelor pad. It wasn't really much. Just the bare necessities. You probably couldn't tell anyone lived there. There was only a hint of personal touch and that was the two pictures set on the nightstand. Then she recognized this as Kakashi-sensei's flat. Meaning the jonin shirt he was wearing was…his. She blushed.<p>

"You up, sleepy head?" She whipped her head around to see the source of the voice. She was met with his patented eye crinkling. She then remembered her resolve and got out of his bed.

"Sponsor me for Anbu." She walked over to him. He was more than a head taller than her, so the way she looked up at him made her seem as though she was a snotty rich civilian with her chin stuck too far up in the air.

"…"

"Did you hear me? I said I—" He had to hear her. He _chose_ not to respond.

"I heard you fine, Sakura. I just didn't understand what you meant by it." He went over and took a seat on his couch. He ran a tired hand through his silver locks. Though the day just started he looked as if he were exhausted.

"I…need to be able to provide for myself. I don't want to be weak. I need to lock away my emotions," she felt hot tears threatening to spill. Suddenly, she couldn't seem to look him in the eye any more. The momentum she once had was gone.

"I need to be more like you, Kaka-sensei."

He supposed that should've been a compliment. But it had stung. Was he really that stoic, aloof? He kept that comment to himself.

"Sakura, are you sure? Anbu isn't a walk in the park. You'll have about half a year of rigorous training. Then they'll have to see if you're mentally up for the job. Even then you're not approved unless the Hokage says you are, so…" He took a risk saying even that. If Sakura suspected he doubted her abilities, there would be hell to pay.

"I'll do whatever it takes."

The determination in her eyes returned as she looked up at him. He didn't want her to go through it. He didn't want her to become emotionally withdrawn, keeping people at arm's length. He didn't want her to become like him.

"Alright," he sighed deeply. "I'll put your file through HQ, and I'll get back to you when I can."

She then surprised Kakashi and herself by hugging him tightly. He felt wetness seep through his sleeveless shirt and realized she was crying. He started to pat her back awkwardly.

"Arigatou sensei." She pulled off him and wiped her eyes hurriedly.

Kakashi gave her what she supposed was a grin behind his mask and an eye crinkle. He then went to his living area and put on another jonin shirt and his vest. He headed to the door to put his sandals on.

"Kakashi?"

"What, no Sensei? When did you drop the honorific?" He said in an attempt to get her not to say what he _**knew**_ she was.

"You didn't have to bring me in Kakashi. T-thank-you, sensei. Thank-y-you so much. " She's never going to let him live this favor down. You bring a girl into your house on the verge of hypothermia, and she just can't shrug it off.

He figured he shouldn't use that joke seeing that her shoulders were shaking violently and her tears were coming like small rivers. Onto his floor. He inwardly sighed.

"No, Sakura. Don't cry. It was my pleasure. Really." He said while rubbing her shoulders up and down. Her puffy eyes looked into his mismatched ones. He felt that the regularly friendly comforting gesture was getting too intimate. He slowed to a stop. Then he awkwardly scratched that familiar spot in the back of his head where the knot of his hitai-ate should be. "Uh, listen Sakura. You can stay here for as long as you like. There's a key under Mr. Ukki, so if you need to leave, just lock the door behind you. He left her with that and paused in the doorway as she started to speak.

"Kakashi?" She shuffled towards him.

"Hm?" He said with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Where are my panties?" The question was innocent enough, but there was an edge added to the last word telling him that she recovered from her last bout of tears pretty fast. Mood swings. Some things just don't change about Sakura.

"In my dresser." He stares as realization hits and her eyes starts to widen. He needs to get the hell out of there before fists fly.

"Pervert!" She didn't know if that was a wink, or if he just blinked before he left in a puff of smoke. You can never tell, seeing that his other eye is covered along with the rest of his face. But why would he choose that exit, if he was in the doorway? Baka. She then went to close and lock the door.

* * *

><p>He was really cutting it close there letting her sleep in his apartment…on his bed. Like she said, he didn't <em>really<em> have to take her into his place, let alone let her sleep on his bed. He couldn't leave her out there or just walk the other way. She's his ex-student. Though Team Kakashi has long since been disbanded, he still cares for his comrades. He's also going to use that excuse to say it was okay to change her out of her ripped clothing and into his fresh, clean ones. It wasn't like she was still 16. She was 22, an _adult, _and able to take care of herself. If she _really_ had a problem with him changing her, she would've done something about it.

But he couldn't ignore the way she cried. Something happened that made her basically demolish training ground three. She didn't cry as though someone kicked her puppy, she cried as though someone ran over it. But those words would only ring true if she was five and she had a puppy that didn't have previous ninken training. It wasn't his business to go stalk the person who made her cry like that, but in any case he already had a damn good guess as to who it could be.

* * *

><p>She had his place to herself and didn't know what to do with it. She supposed she shouldn't stick around, that would be overusing her stay. Kakashi may be categorized as her friend, but she wasn't as close to him as she was with Ino or Naruto where she could crash on the couch all day and neither would care. But this was Kakashi, and though it was a polite gesture, she had to go. Besides, the only type of entertainment he had in the house was his filthy porn with their own shelf, and a dusty looking shogi board peeking out from behind the closet door. She had to get out. She supposed training would do good to let out some steam.<p>

But what would she wear? Her clothes were ripped, and so were her bindings. Her underwear was most likely wet, in both senses of the word, and unless he had a washer machine lying around somewhere, she would have to do without. Her cheeks started to burn. Kakashi has a very heightened sense of smell. So if he can smell blood, he can smell her fluids on her underwear. _And_ he had to touch it. She wouldn't be surprised if he put it in a trash bag and stuffed it to the deepest depths of his dresser drawer.

She walked towards what she assumed to be where he kept his clothes until she was face to face with it. She opened about three drawers before she found her red lace underwear in a clear baggie with a sticky note taped to the outside. All subtleties are lost on this man.

She could barely read his illegible handwriting.

'_I know what you did last night…'_

"Oh Kami. Kill me now." She felt as if she should go under a rock and die from embarrassment...who knew what else he's seen of hers?

She took a quick tour of his flat and there was no washer machine in sight. She sighed deeply. She would just have to do without. But she couldn't go without bindings! Just imagine if she somehow, by her streak of unluckiness, Naruto comes bounding down the street intent on crushing her in one of his bear hugs. That would be usual for Naruto, but her refusing wouldn't. And she knew that if he pulled one of his pouts, she would eventually hug him. Then Naruto would understand why Kunoichi wore bindings. This time she groaned.

She went searching through Kakashi's medicine cabinet. By the way the man avoids hospitals like the plague you would think he had a few bandages lying around. Gauze!

"That should do!" She said to no one in particular. She took Kakashi's jonin shirt off and stared at herself in the mirror. She smacked her hands to her face and groaned. Kakashi must've had an abundance of women in his bed; she sees the way he acts at the pub. He'd probably laugh out loud at the size of her breasts. Hell, any man would. At times like these, she wished she had Ino's chest.

She started to roll the gauze around her bust. All it served to do was make them look lopsided. She got the gauze around her chest twice before it ran out.

"Great. Would it kill him to go shopping once in a while?" She threw the empty roll of gauze to the floor. Any sudden movement and they would pop right out of the gauze. She couldn't go training. There's nothing else for her to do but…

"I need my clothes." Her heart clenched at the thought of going back, but she knew he would just throw them out if she didn't retrieve them. She went to Kakashi's closet and threw on his standard Shinobi pants. He must've known she had no other clothes with her, but maybe he thought she had a place to go back to. She'll just wash them and give them back later. Although they smell awfully like him.

She took the key from under Mr. Ukki and smiled. The thing was half dead, yet he never replaced him. So sentimental.

She'll be sure to use that to get back at him for the underwear.

* * *

><p>She looked like the Daimyo's wife taking those tiny, demure steps. Every other person who walked past her bumped her and she shrieked. Luckily, nothing popped…yet. Further down the street she sees Naruto and Kiba coming her way. She quickly turns around and takes little hops the other way.<p>

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Damn him and his dormant sage mode.

She turned to face him and put on the brightest smile she could. "Hey Naruto," She managed through gritted teeth.

He closes the few steps between them and Kiba gives a wave to Naruto telling him they'll meet each other later. "How've you been Sakura-chan?" He eyes the strange way she has her arms wrapped around her chest and her eyes downcast. He bends to her level (which is a pretty far way to go,) and tries to make her eyes follow his. "Sakura-chan is something wrong?"

"Oh! N-n-no Naruto, everything is perfectly f—" At that moment, someone chooses to walk past and bumps her in the process. She put her hands across her chest as nonchalantly as she could and patted everything. She made a mental note then to kill that bastard. She looked at their retreating back with menacing eyes and hoped to Kami they were civilians. That would make it easier to—

"Sakura-chan?" Her thoughts of murder stopped as her attention shot back to Naruto…who was now blushing madly. To think as he grew older he would have more self-control. Blushing at a slight jiggle of the breasts? She sighed. Some things never change. But then she noticed that his jonin shirt was now tied around his waist. That didn't stop her from seeing something peeking out beneath it. Her head shot up and her cheeks started to burn.

"Y-yes, Naruto?" Something else must've happened to make him react like this. As far as she knew Naruto wasn't that horny.

"Did you drop a henge or something?" What? Why would she have a henge in her own village? Well, other than the reasons that Tsunade-shishou does it…

"…No."

"Then when did your chest get so _big?_" Then he started to nod and smile as if it was a joke.

"Agghhh!" Her cheeks seemed as if they were on fire now. If Naruto saw, everyone saw. And if they started to talk, well, she would be known as the Kunoichi who doesn't wear bindings. Or to civilians, the hooker that doesn't wear a bra.

She quickly pulled Naruto towards her and hugged him tightly. It was supposed to look like a normal friendly gesture. But with the way Naruto's face looked very conflicted, she was going to take a lucky guess and say this is going to be all over Konoha by 1:00.

"Quick, Naruto I need your vest,"

"No…?" She didn't have time for his games. She pulled the vest off of him, which was really hard because his body was flush against hers, and she was trying not to react to the hard-on poking her legs. She zipped it up.

"Okay…" He awkwardly released from her grasp. Naruto was currently sporting his mesh lining shirt, his jonin shirt knotted at his waist and his standard Shinobi pants.

"I thought your Shinobi clothes were customized, Sakura. When did you get your own? And why are they so _big?_" He looked perfectly normal now despite the previous incident. She beckoned for him to walk with her.

"Oh, no. These are Kakashi's." That was a completely innocent remark. If her and Kakashi were lovers.

His eyes widened for a second then he smiled. "Are you sleeping with sensei? I mean that's totally fine and all Sakura, seeing he's not really our sensei anymore—"

She grabbed his shirt. "I'm _**not**_ having sex with Kakashi!" She froze. Maybe she could've said that a little lower. Now people were staring. She started to smooth out Naruto's shirt. She sighed.

"My clothes were ripped, Naruto. And he let me, erm, 'borrow' his." He didn't _actually_ let her borrow his pants. But Naruto doesn't know that.

"Where are we going?" His sudden change of topic was welcome, but it was the topic that they changed _to_ that made her insides clench.

"I need to go to Sasuke's. Oh and, can I stay with you for a bit? Just a day or two?" He saw sincerity in her eyes and figured this is a topic that he can wait to discuss. It looked as though she didn't want to talk about it. And if he pushed her, well, he would have a black eye.

"Oh okay. But are you guys gonna start kissing in front of me again? Because I have to say, I don't like being a third wheel. That was just disgusting."

She started to tune out what he was saying. She lowered her head as tears threatened to spill. She knew she couldn't let them fall, because if Naruto saw her crying, he would go on a rampage. I guess he still thought they were together. She walked alongside him in silence and felt another little piece of her heart break each time he mentioned something about her and Sasuke.

"Remember that time you beat Sasuke when we were sparring and you guys didn't talk to each other for days? That was horrible. At least we can look back and laugh at it like I said!" He started to chuckle to himself.

She smacked her hand to her forehead and groaned. She made such a big deal out of nothing. Their relationship couldn't be over. Not with such a small stepping stone they had to get over. They've fought before. That brought a smile to her face and she started to walk with a spring in her step. She seemed more determined to get to Sasuke's house more than ever now. Then she stopped. What about Anbu? Kakashi was supposed to be putting her papers in today. That thought flitted through her conscious for a split second before she resigned it to the back of her mind. That can wait. She has a not-so-broken relationship she has to fix.

* * *

><p>She pulled out her key from under the pot by the door and started to jiggle it through the too familiar doorknob.<p>

"Teme, we're coming in!" Naruto shouted. At least he had sense enough for that. She was just going to bust in there.

She decided she was going to bust in there and kiss him senseless. She couldn't survive without him. She _wouldn't._

"Sasuke!" She saw his familiar locks of blue-black hair peeking out from the kitchen. She told Naruto to stay at the door and took a short jog towards him. She saw that all he had on was a pair of Shinobi pants.

"Sasuke." He looked almost surprised to see her. Well, as surprised as an Uchiha can get. But not for long. She got up on her tippy toes and kissed him. Then he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss as she pulled him towards her.

"Aw, guys. Not again! I'll be in the living room." She smiled against his mouth at the familiar antics of Naruto. Then she broke the kiss and laid her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." She knew now, everything was going to be alright. He then pulled her chin up to face his eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." First of all, when did Sasuke _**ever**_ apologize? Second of all, what was that in his eyes? Pain? Regret? Whatever it was it could wait. She got off her tippy toes and went to the bedroom to find her clothes. If she told Naruto that she didn't have to stay with him anymore, then he would assume the reason why she wanted to stay with him in the first place was because she had a fight with Sasuke. Then he would want to know what happened. And even though they're through it, she really didn't want to talk about it yet.

"No, Sakura—" He said as he tried to follow her to the bedroom.

Then, she froze. The sight she saw before her made her insides clench so painfully that she had to grip the wall to stay upright. And grip the wall she did. The place where her hand was started to crack and fall before her feet. What she saw before her, was a very naked, very sexed, TenTen.

She tried to take deep breaths but it wouldn't work. She started to shake. The air wouldn't come in no matter what she did. Then, she fell to the floor and passed out.

* * *

><p>"What the hell were you thinking in the first place you bastard?" She didn't need to open her eyes to figure out whose voice was now booming across the silent house. She didn't need to open her eyes to figure out whose sandals were loudly pacing back and forth. She knew it was Naruto.<p>

She didn't need to open her eyes to hear a very shaky breath taken. She didn't need to open her eyes to feel the heat coming from something about to touch her face. She knew it was Sasuke's hand. She _felt_ it. So the first thing Sakura did before opening her eyes was take that hand and burn it with her chakra. Burn it like he did her skin two days ago without a second thought. She heard a hiss. Then, she finally opened her eyes.

When she saw his face, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She stood up and saw Naruto's eyes follow her all the way. He didn't care. He was indifferent. Something in her heart told her to wipe that look off his face. So she smacked him. When she heard the pop and saw his face turn back towards her, she slapped him again. When she moved in for the third slap, Naruto was there at her waist and Sasuke had her hands. She quickly snatched them away from him. Then, she was defeated. No more anger, no more momentum, only sadness. She slumped but Naruto caught her and turned her around.

"Sasuke, please," She said as she lowered her head. Naruto's hands still rested at her waist. She turned to face him.

He turned back towards her.

"Please, Sasuke. Answer me this one question." She wrapped her hands around herself and started to shake.

He looked up at her as she stared into his eyes.

"Uchiha Sasuke, do you love me?" When she saw his head lower, that's when she started to cry.

"Sakura?" Naruto said as he tried to turn her around.

But she didn't answer. By that time, all he had left in his hands were cherry blossoms.

"Damn it, Sakura!" He turned over Sasuke's couch in anger.

"Sasuke, what the _hell_ were you thinking?"

* * *

><p>For all the heartache that she experienced through the past few days, she decided to come back here. To the edge of Konoha, where there was a single cherry blossom tree that they planted. It was their favorite place. She twiddled between her thumbs a fallen cherry blossom.<p>

"It would be perfect if it started to rain…" She whispered to herself.

It would be fitting for it to start to rain, especially since she wanted the world to cry with her. It was cold. Freezing, especially since Konoha was on the brink of winter. Winter was Sasuke's favorite season.

She didn't understand why he did it. She really did believe he loved her. He even used to hold her hand. He didn't like public displays of affection. But he kissed her once. She first turned 20, and they were both sober. And he kissed her in front of everyone. She truly felt loved. But his answer proved her wrong.

To have TenTen is his bed was the biggest slap to the face. She and TenTen were comrades, but definitely not friends. It wasn't even Sakura's decision. She was forced into this mutual dislike. She doesn't know what happened, but she knew it happened the day after the Rookie 9 met up at the pub. She stayed a bit too late. She got drunk, and Genma and Raido walked her home. Innocent enough. She did admit, she gave Genma a peck on the cheek. But TenTen, TenTen told everyone that she Genma and Raido had a threesome. It was worse because she went on a mission with them for the next month. It took her two weeks when she got back to figure out why she was put on leave at the hospital with an '_until further notice'_ sign on her office door. She never had anything against TenTen, and she never knew why she did it. When it became too unbearable, she sought out Sasuke for comfort. And it was Sasuke who stopped the rumors. All of them. Dead in their tracks. That's why she hurt the most.

"Well, it's t-time to get b-back at Kakashi f-for the underwear I-incident," She said through chattering teeth. And just before passing out, she transported herself to Kakashi's apartment.

* * *

><p>For all the trouble he had to go through today, she should really thank him. First, he had to go all the way to Jonin HQ to turn in his mission report. A new record actually. 17 days without turning in his mission report <em>and <em>without being forced by Tsunade-sama. But then he had to go all the way to Anbu HQ to turn in Sakura's file. Then they insisted he be there for them to check it over. That took about an hour. They _had_ to have done that on purpose. Especially from all the times he kept his subordinates waiting. Damn him and his superiority complex. When he did get home, he saw his first aid kit tampered with and decided it was time to update his supplies. That took another 30 minutes. When he returned, he tried to sleep, but his sheets smelled too much like cherry blossoms and floral green. It was too intoxicating. He moved to the couch. He suffered from a stiff neck. So where did that leave him now? With his head tilted to the right at a 57 degree angle, waiting for the stiffness to wear off while he read an old edition of Icha Icha.

Then it happened.

First he heard the 'pop', and then he saw a figure slump to his floor. He quickly grabbed a kunai from its spot in his weapons pouch, but quickly returned it when he saw that the figure had bright pink hair. He sighed. Fate has just been unkind to him today.

"Sakura." He tried to shake her awake, but it produced no results.

"Sakura?" A little more forcefully this time. Again, nothing.

"Damn it." He took her bridal style and dropped her on his bed. He checked her pulse and let out a sigh of relief that she was still alive.

This was the second time she was freezing in his house. What are the Gods trying to tell him? He can't just simply lock her inside…He shook his head as he pondered the thought. Even if he did disable her, she was smart enough to find a way to get out.

He took off his shirt and vest and started working at her sandals. After, he removed her pants. Then he moved to her jonin vest and his shirt and peeled those off too. He took a sharp intake of breath when he found that she had nothing on underneath that shirt. No bindings, no bra, just gauze sticking to the underside of her breasts. He sighed.

He _knew_ he was going to regret this later.

He peeled of the gauze and threw it. Then he pressed her body tightly against his. To get comfortable, he wrapped one leg between hers. Then he wrapped her arms around him and put her head in the crook of her neck. He put his arms around her waist. This position is highly suggestive. But that wasn't his main concern. She started to shiver violently and he pushed her closer to his body.

He had many questions. Why were her eyes puffy…again? Where the hell did she come from? That was top priority. When she turned up here she was passed out. Warmth, he thought, was his main concern.

"This is going to be a really long night."

* * *

><p>She awoke to warm body beside her. When she shivered, she was pulled closer. She was about to give a piece of her mind to whoever decided to take advantage of her when she felt the familiar chakra signature. She blushed when she saw they were both shirtless.<p>

"Kakashi," She whispered it, but he stirred. She disentangled herself from his limbs but he still didn't awake. She grabbed the shirt off the night stand and had one foot off the bed before she had a sharp pain in her head and fell off the bed.

Kakashi sprung upright with a kunai in his hand. Then he saw that Sakura was no longer there. He located when he heard groaning.

"Sakura?" She was on her knees. He heard her sobs turn to screams and try to calm her down. He bent down to pick her up. When she was in his arms she kicked him in the jaw and ran. He was disabled for a few minutes. But by the time that the pain became bearable, she was gone. No sandals, no pants. Just…gone.

* * *

><p>She knew she had to get out. She had so much to cry and scream about, that when she did it, it didn't seem fake. Not to Kakashi at least. She would apologize later, but if he knew she was going to kick him, it would never work. When she stepped on the ground she figured out she had no pants on. No sandals. Just a jonin shirt and, thanks goodness, boy shorts. People were staring, and she knew it would be the gossip of the day, but none of that matters until she got what she wanted.<p>

She ran to the one place she figured he would be. She ran to the more modern apartments in Konoha. When she found the house she was looking for, she ran up the wall to the top floor and broke the window with her hand. She saw him turn for a kunai but she was faster. She grabbed his shirt and spun him around. Too bad he was another person who was taller than her. Now her glare barely had any effect. He still looked…indifferent. Then, she cried tears. This time, unlike the so many others she's cried in the past few days, she cried angry tears. She needed to. Somewhere inside of her, it was real. But everywhere else, she needed to make him believe she was angry at the moment. Which she was. But she had to make it look more dramatic then it actually was to get what she wanted.

"What the hell did you think you were doing Sasuke? We haven't even officially broken up yet and you had another _woman_ in your bed. Are you kidding me? Can you _not_ keep it in your pants? For just a second Sasuke! A second!" She used her anger as a diversion. She started tossing things around his house. Looking for her, she must be there. After she checked the kitchen, she turned around to find him, to question him. But he was right there. She bumped into his chest but quickly pushed him off her. This time, he was faster. He grabbed one hand and kissed her.

"How dare you?" She slapped him. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly towards him. Did he think his displays of affection were going to get him somewhere?

When it didn't seem like he was going to budge, she used her free hand and pressed his pressure point on the underside of his knee. He would only be disabled for 10 seconds tops, when she figured his weight into the equation. So she used that time to run.

She jumped out the window, but she felt him following her. But it was too late. He couldn't stop her.

She was going to find TenTen, and she'd be damned if he tried.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry the update took so long! I wanted to make it nice and long as an apology for being so late! Please review! <em>

_-Keoo19_


	3. Target

**Target**

_A/N- There is a bit of a time skip. No suggestive themes. Also, later on in this story, there will be a very miniscule reference to Anko. [Spoiler]This is AU, so I made Madara kill Anko when Kabuto was finished with her. I made no reference to that part of the manga, though._

* * *

><p>She felt him hot on her heels. She had a feeling he knew where she was going. If he had half a mind he would know not to interfere. But there was this one thing about Sasuke. He's going to make sure of where she's going before he actually does something about it. Either that or he likes the view of her ass from behind.<p>

She smiled. They had a race like this through Konoha the day she beat him in a sparring match.

_**-Flashback-**_

"_Getting tired, Sakura?" He said as she lagged behind. She could see chakra pouring through the soles of his feet._

"_Not even. I'm just getting started!" She pushed chakra to her feet and ran past him. _

"_Damn it! I'm already using chakra!" How did she even keep up without it?_

_**-End Flashback-**_

She quickly reprimanded herself for smiling. She couldn't waste time on memories. Those things that are a constant reminder of how weak she's been. Those are in the past.

Besides, she has a job to do.

* * *

><p>They were halfway through the village now. When she turned the corner, she saw Sasuke was no longer behind her. Good. He finally gave up. She skidded to a stop when she saw Naruto about 20 feet in front of her. Damn it.<p>

Sasuke made his presence known by dropping a few good feet behind her off a rooftop.

"Uzumaki! Get out of my way!" She called out to him while putting her hands on her hips.

"No way, Haruno. I'm not letting you go past." He said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Alright then," She pointed a finger towards him. "I'll just force my way through." She took a fighting stance with chakra drawn to her hands.

She started running towards him, one fist poised for battle, the other as a backup. Naruto, was waiting while cracking his knuckles.

_Still thinks lowly of me, huh? I'll show him how much I've grown. _She thought as she came at him.

He flickered behind her with his fist ready to punch her in the back. But she's gotten faster. She turned around, grabbed his positioned fist and twisted it backward. That'll only disable him for 3 minutes given his healing time. Considering she broke it in three places, she'll max it to ten. She didn't have much time. She had to run fast. Sasuke chose this time to jump forward and land behind Naruto.

"What the hell? Naruto, you got stabbed in the back by six of Pein's rods, yet you cry over a broken hand? Dobe!" Sasuke said as jumping past Naruto's doubled over form.

"Oi, Teme! It _hurts!_"

* * *

><p>Grateful for the distraction, she continues to run ignoring her hair whipping her face and neck. She comes upon a particular house. "One floor, blue, two windows in front, deadbolt lock." She took stock of the features of the TenTen's house for later.<p>

She stopped when she came across the door. While she could manipulate the lock with her chakra, it would be much more fun to break it with her bare hands.

"Hell yeah!" She shouted as the splintered pieces of the door came flying past her while a few got stuck in her skin. Yeah, it would hurt later. But for now, she was numbed to the pain by the feeling that the adrenaline brought.

She walked into an empty house.

"Where the hell are you, coward?"She shouted as she walked into the kitchen, fists ready for punching.

"Show your face!" She kicked over a coffee table. At that moment a carrier pigeon landed on her shoulder, but out of instinct she smacked away. With her reflexes she caught it before it hit the ground and did a full check on it. No injuries. The Flight Department would have her head otherwise. She snatched the message off its leg before it disappeared.

'_Training ground three.'_

"Damn it!" She ripped the paper in half and stalked out the door. She ran in the opposite direction and only when she got to the Ichiraku ramen stand did she stopped.

"I'm close enough." She made the necessary hand signs to teleport her to training ground three.

When she regained her balance, she figured she was in training grounds seven, there were no tree stumps.

"Damned sense of direction!" She started running. "6…5…4…3!" When she saw TenTen, she skidded to a stop. Sure enough, she was standing on the stump to the left. The one Sasuke sat at…How did she know? Maybe it was by pure luck?

"You whore. You mock me, and you have no remorse. Do you _know_ who you're up against?" She saw red. Chakra seeped through the pores of her hands. It burned because she didn't have her gloves. It was alright, she was numb.

"Yes, I do." She leaped off the stump and pulled out her scrolls. "An overly cocky _slut_ who's known by association! Face it. You're only arrogant because you have your filthy teammates to back you up! You can't fight. Not really. Who's the one always getting saved Sakura_-chan?_"

Sakura ran toward her with chakra flowing behind her fists in her wake. Seeing this TenTen opened her scrolls and a barrage of shuriken flew towards Sakura. She dodged a few, but some got imbedded in her shoulders and side. But she kept on. She was too dizzy to run straight. What did she put in these shuriken? Was she _trying_ to kill her? She started to flush out what she could, but her chakra levels were depleted from running and breaking Naruto's hand. This fight couldn't go on much longer.

When the next barrage of shuriken came, 4 figures came from the treetops and landed in separate places. There was a blur of blue spinning in front of her, while she was being pulled backwards by the waist from another. TenTen's scrolls were being snapped shut by something green, and a flash of orange stood right in front of her. Just when the dizziness started to fade, a hand smacked her forehead and remained there. The dizziness returned. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again everything was clear. Neji was the blue blur with his Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin. Lee was the green. She and TenTen were now about thirty feet apart.

"I have no problem with your teammate Neji," Naruto shouted. So that was the orange. _And_ the hand still pressed against her face. "But if she lays so much as her little finger on _my_ teammate again, I'll make _sure_ Sakura's wishes of seeing this fight to the end are attended to…By _me."_ He pressed his thumb to his chest.

"Those words are true to your teammate as well, Naruto." Neji said in a crisp voice. Then the three of them disappeared to the treetops.

"Sakura, are you okay?" So those were Kakashi's hands at her waist. Her head lolled back to rest on his chest.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just what did she put in those shuriken?" She started to drool. Kakashi picked her up.

"Naruto, we're going to my place, its closer. She put something in the shuriken?" When you fight a comrade, even if you're not friends, you don't fight to kill.

"Yeah, uh, some, some sleeping agent. It'll also knock out a few of my senses, and all of my common sense. Yep. Oh and, my morals will be pretty loose, so keep me out of the streets, okay?" She was steadily trying to keep herself awake but at the same time, trying to think of what is going to stall the sleeping agent.

"Is there anything to stop the poison from spreading?" Naruto this time.

"Sleeping agent. Not poison. Oh yeah, aspirin will help a lot."

"Alright, Kakashi, I'll meet you at your house. I'll go get some aspirin. " Naruto shouted as he sped away.

Kakashi started through the treetops as he checked her body for anymore injuries.

"Sakura, what happened to your hands? And why are you bleeding?"Her eyes were still closed, but at least her hearing wasn't gone.

"Well, my gloves are still at Sasuke's house. Maybe we could go get them? And on my way to the training grounds, I depleted a whole bunch of my chakra breaking Naruto's hand which was a real waste because he can just heal himself." She frowned.

"No, No, his hand was wrapped up. It's still pretty much broken. You did a good job at making sure it wouldn't mend on its own."

"Yeah, I like to take pride in what I do." She smiled as he rolled his eyes. He could see his house in the distance. But he had to keep her awake; at least as long as it takes for Naruto to get back.

"Sakura, what do you want to talk about?"

"Me."

"Arrogant." He saw her face fall. And though her eyes were still closed, he could still see her eyes moving behind her eyelids like in REM sleep.

"TenTen called me that. Do you know why she did it Kakashi?" This caught his attention.

"Did what?"

"Why she slept with Sasuke." His visible eye widened. How much did he miss? Is that why Sakura came to his apartment crying on more than one occasion? Why she was so determined to fight this girl?

"Tell me what happened, and maybe I can figure it out." He suddenly wanted to know why she ended up in his bed, asking him to sponsor her for Anbu.

"Oh yeah, you are pretty smart." She nodded. Not to toot any horns but the Hatake _are _geniuses."Well, Sasuke was acting like an over controlling asshole when we were about to have sex, so I slapped him. He tore my bindings, my shirt, and burnt my skin in the process, see?" She reached towards her shirt to pull it up. Luckily she had shorts on. But no bra. He sighed. Lose inhibitions. Check. He pulled her shirt back over her breasts and tried to get himself back under control, though not before glancing at the ugly burns that stained her back and the underside of her breasts. He jumped down to his doorstep and jiggled the doorknob before it creaked open.

'_Baka'_ He thought. Anyone can steal from him if his door opens that easily. But of course, who would really want to break into his house? _The_ Copy Nin's house. Nope. No one. He closed the door with his foot and sat Sakura up straight on the couch so she could stay awake. When he sat down after her, she started to lean into him. He could feel the curve of her breasts pressing into his arm and tried to practice the self-control that he steeled himself with over the years.

"Did you heal it Sakura?" He looked down at her face. Hopefully she wasn't asleep yet.

"No, but if I do when I get better, it's only going to leave a slight grazing. But that's if I have all my chakra back." She snuggled into him more and slowly moved her feet onto the couch.

"What else happened?"

"Well, I went to the training grounds and completely demolished it before I passed out. Thank goodness for Tenzou though," He remembers the look on his face after calling him when he found Sakura. Priceless. He chuckled silently at that. "Well then, you didn't have any bandages, that morning after you left, so I used gauze. I found Naruto in the streets, then the gauze popped and Naruto got a hard-on. After that Naruto showed me that maybe our relationship wasn't broken you know? He didn't _actually_ break up with me, and we fought before." He remembers that day. They were supposed to get the bell of the highest tree in the village. Sakura used being a woman to her advantage by hanging upside now on a limb above Sasuke and let them pop out. By the time Sasuke recovered, Sakura already had the bell.

"So when I went to his house, we kissed and…now that I think of it, he apologized for sleeping with her. Sasuke doesn't apologize. So that has to mean something. But I went to get my clothes, and he tried to stop me. I saw TenTen and hyperventilated. You basically know the rest." He did. Naruto told him. And it was his house she showed up to…_again._ "But I don't see how that's fair. I _could've_ made love to Sasuke yesterday if he didn't have sex with her. So, I'm still a virgin, and she gets to be a part of one of the greatest acts of passion in life." She pouted. She was really telling him too much information. Loose morals. Check.

"Maybe TenTen is jealous? You can have anyone you want. Even Neji. That's what scares her." He sounds like a freaking guidance counselor. Why was he doing this again?

"Ohhhhhhh. That makes sense. I did kiss Neji on her 17th birthday, so maybe she's the type of person to hold grudges?" He rolled his eyes. Well, duh. He pulled out his trusty book to avoid future conversation. But if she couldn't see, what was the point?

"Kakashi?" She opened her eyes, but they were glazed. What did she put in those shuriken?

"Hm?" But she still didn't get the memo did she?

"Is there," He started to yawn. "Anything wrong with me?" Then he started to choke and gasp for air. She gave him a pat on his shoulder, which helped nothing. When his breathing got under control, he was thinking of one of his useful excuses to use in these types of situations.

"No, Sakura." He started that out perfectly. "There's nothing wrong with you." Generic. But what was he supposed to say without it bordering on the edge of taboo?

"Then, why did…why did he—" She looked like she didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Hey guys, I got the aspirin!" Saved by Naruto. He really didn't want to continue on with this conversation.

Kakashi shot up and grabbed the aspirin from his hands. "What the hell took you so long?" He turned towards his kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Sakura, how's it going?" Naruto stated cheerfully as he went to take a seat next to Sakura. In his absence, her head fell to the seat of the couch. Getting worse.

She raised her hand and flicked him off. He got up and went towards the kitchen. "Great. At least we know her peachy personality hasn't disappeared." Naruto said mockingly as he examined his broken hand Tsunade-baa-chan kindly patched up for him. He was to slow to dodge the pillow that whizzed towards his head. He rubbed the spot where it hit.

"Owww,"

Kakashi went towards the couch to sit Sakura back up. He tried to put the glass of water in her hands, but she wouldn't grasp it. So he forced the two pills into her mouth and poured the water down her throat, only to have most of it spill on his shirt. How many shirts of his did she have?

"Great. She can't swallow Naruto."

"No, I'm fine. I got the aspirin down so I can sleep while it works its way through my system." She dropped once again to the couch. Naruto came and wrapped a blanket around her.

"So what do we do now?" Naruto said as he stared at the already sleeping form of Sakura.

"First, we put a jutsu on this house so nobody can get in, and nobody can get out. Then we go untie Sasuke." Kakashi started towards the door with Naruto in tow.

"Sakura, don't do anything stupid." He knew the statement fell on deaf ears, but he had to say it. Kakashi knew Sakura had a knack for getting into trouble these days, so saying something about it made him feel more at ease.

* * *

><p>"I don't see why this was necessary. Chakra restrains? You guys really don't want me to go after her, do you?" Sasuke said as Kakashi cut his chakra binds. Naruto started working on unclasping the bands around his wrists.<p>

"You really want me to answer that?" Naruto stopped his work and looked up.

"You know, you just separated our _whole_ team." Naruto finished as he stood back and glared at Sasuke. He kept his gaze impassive. "How will we practice, or even go on missions when Kami knows she's going to ignore your sorry ass until hell freezes over."

"She's joining Anbu, Sasuke." Kakashi chose this time to speak. Sasuke looked up.

"Is that supposed to be my problem?" He spat. His words said one thing, but Kakashi could see in his eyes he didn't mean it. "Another empty dream she's hoping for. She's not going to make it pass the first three months." He stood up and flexed his previously restrained arms. He walked to the entrance of his house. He paused in the doorway.

"If she knows what's good for her," The hand that rested on the doorknob twisted it and pulled. "She'll come back to me. She always does." With that he slammed the door. Naruto looked angry. He had a foot up ready to run after him, but Kakashi was suddenly in front of him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Just leave him, Naruto." Kakashi let him go and waited at the door. Naruto followed the path to Sasuke's bedroom. He heard him whisper _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu _and the four pops that signified he needed extra help to pack her things. He put Sakura's belongings in three large trash bags. They looked heavy by the way he was lugging them around. He went to Kakashi and pushed the trash bags into his hands.

"She's staying with you." He said firmly and went for the door.

"What?" Naruto turned towards him with a weary face.

"Look, you know the most about Anbu. If she really wants to do it, then fine. And you better do a damned good job at it. Don't leave her half-assed like you did when we were genin." Kakashi heard the door click shut.

Was he really that bad of a teacher?

* * *

><p>Sakura awoke with a throbbing pain in her head. She could see, she was sure she could smell, and she was pretty sure if someone offered her drugs, she would say no.<p>

She hadn't showered in three days, and she was starting to feel sticky. She went over to Kakashi closet to find some more of his pants when she saw kanji written on a small slip of paper. She tried jiggling the door knob, but even that wouldn't move. When she tried to punch it, it produced nothing but pain. Now that the adrenaline was gone, she could clearly see the burn marks on her hands from over using her chakra. She went to the windows of the house to find that they had the same slip of paper with the same kanji written on it. She went to the front door to find that it had four. She had no chakra, so how would she get through those? Stupid man. The only place that didn't have that slip of paper on it was the bathroom. At least he had some decency.

She entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She gripped the bottom of his shirt to pull it over her head when she felt her hands become sticky. When she put the shirt back down and looked at her hands, she found them red.

"Damn it." She got his shirt bloody. She continued to lift it over her head and placed it on the sink. She rifled through his medicine cabinet for soap and smiled when she saw he replaced the roll of bandages. She laughed silently when she saw he had a razor, too. When she found some, she diligently started to scrub the blood away. She was thirty minutes into it when she wondered where they both went. He didn't even have a window in his bathroom so she couldn't tell what time it was.

It looked like she was on her own in this one.

* * *

><p>He dispelled the kanji written on the front door and walked inside. He was tired. He had to carry all of her belongings all the way across Konoha seeing that Sasuke lived on the edge of the village. How much stuff did she have? He sighed as he tried to walk as quietly as he could with three large trash bags in his hands. No wonder Naruto had to use his clones to pack this stuff.<p>

He took an alternate path through the kitchen trying not to wake her. He still couldn't sense her chakra so the sleeping agent must still be in her system. He deposited the bags on his bedroom floor and took off his clothes and sandals. He put his hitai-ate on the night stand and grabbed two towels out of his closet after dispelling the kanji on his closet door. He went back out of his room and opened the bathroom door.

What he saw there _almost_ gave him a nosebleed.

"S-Sakura?" His visible eye widened.

* * *

><p>She was almost done getting the blood stains out when she her the doorknob turn. She turned towards it almost immediately reaching for her weapons pouch only to find that it wasn't there. She saw Kakashi's body emerge. Kakashi's <em>naked<em> body. Well, other than his mask.

"Agghhh!" She let out a long undignified squeal and covered her chest as best as she could. Kakashi took one of the towels from his arms and quickly wrapped it around his waist.

"What the hell are you doing, Kakashi?" She reprimanded him as her eyes widened from anger. "You can't just pop up on me in the bathroom!"

"What do you mean pop up on you? It's _my_ house!" He yelled back. He was tired. All he wanted to do was take a nice bath. The Gods really did hate him.

"Either way, can't you sense if another person's in _your_ house, Hatake?" She went towards him and to emphasize her sentence poked him in the chest. His bare, lean, muscular…

_I'm supposed to be mad at him! _She thought. _Not analyzing his chest!_

"You don't _have_ any damn chakra! What is there to sense?" He grabbed her intruding finger and moved it back towards her person. "What I can't understand is why you don't have a shirt on!" He pointed to her bare chest. She secured her arms more tightly around herself.

"Why _I_ don't have a shirt on? Why are you walking around naked?" She pointed down to the towel that covered up his nakedness.

"It's _**my**_ house!" He figured this conversation was going nowhere fast.

"Ugh! Just get **OUT!**" She pushed him forward and the door was slammed in his face. He rubbed a tired hand through his unkempt hair.

_I just got kicked out…of my own bathroom._ He thought while going into the kitchen. He took a seat at the island and rested his head in his hands. He waited there for roughly fifteen minutes before he heard the door slowly creak open.

"Um, Kakashi?" Her demanding voice was gone and was replaced with a small, timid one.

"…" He looked in the direction of the bathroom.

"Do you mind, uh, getting me a fresh towel?" He sighed deeply and got up to go to his bedroom. He went into his closet and snatched one of the towels hanging on the rack. He went back to the bathroom and handed a towel to her outstretched hands.

"Thank-you," He waited on the wall beside the bathroom. He heard a loud curse and a stomp. His poor floor. It was another five minutes before she emerged. He may have…accidentally given her one of his hair towels. She glared at him when she stepped out. She kept pulling it up because it showed too much cleavage, and she kept tugging it down because it showed the curve of her ass. He threw in hands up in an effort to placate her. But he couldn't help the grin behind his mask.

"Accident. Truly." He said keeping his eye glued to her face.

"Go to hell!" She screamed and started towards his bedroom.

"Your clothes are there," He called out to her before he heard his room door shut. When he stepped into the bathroom, he found it to be quite steamy. He saw his jonin shirt hanging on the shower rod…wet. He moved it to the rack along with his towels and proceeded to take off his mask.

He went to the sink to grab his razor and saw that it was covered in bright pink hair. He located his brush on the edge of the sink and also saw that it was littered with bright pink hair. He sighed. He liked her newly grown long hair. He liked the bangs that fell over her eyebrows and shaped her face. How they fell just above her lower back. But he didn't like how she grew it all back for Sasuke...again.

When he thought of Sasuke's statement, he really did wish she could be like him. Emotionally withdrawn, without a need for a person on your bedside. He wanted Sasuke to take back his words. But that would never happen. He sighed.

He dropped the razor and leaned forward to run the bath water. Then the door flung open and he sees Sakura in her own standard jonin clothes. He quickly grabs a towel from the rack and wraps it around his face.

"Ha! How does it feel to have your privacy…Are you kidding me?" She looked mortified that her plan to get him to understand how she felt failed. She pointed a shaking finger at his face.

"You hide your face instead of your…your…" She starts to stutter as she points to his member with a shaking finger. "I can't believe you." She turned sharply and slammed the door behind her. She saw it before, if only for that split second twenty minutes ago. Why should he hide something he has pride in?

He chuckled to himself as he went to lock the door. He peeled off his makeshift mask and stepped into the bath. He had one foot in before it was sharply pulled back out and he winced. He was positive that he put on the hot water. He started to drain the tub. Turning the knob of the hot water back on, he felt it was icy cold. He shut it off and took an exasperated sigh.

She took his bed, his clothes, his _brush,_ and now all his hot water? Why couldn't she have stayed with Naruto? When he thought about it, he did offer most of those niceties to her. Except for the brush. That was his.

He turned back around and turned the hot-turned-cold water back on. Hopefully it would heat up. And since he didn't want to wait in a bath of cold water, he turned the knob for the showerhead. He sighed for the umpthteenth time that day.

Hospitality has a limit.

* * *

><p>That night, he had Tenzou come over and build him a bed. Well, not for himself, he was getting the king bed that he <em>bought.<em> She's getting the makeshift. They had an argument after she figured out who was getting the wooden bed and why (more one-sided, he ignored her with his porn), before he went to his closet, laid down 2 bed sheets, a pillow, and a folded up blanket on her makeshift bed before he shut out all the lights and went behind the half-wall that Tenzou had also kindly built for him (not without Kakashi's sweet talking of course) towards his room and shut the door. He laid on the bed with one hand behind his head, and the other grasping his beloved book.

He heard her muttering obscenities as she started thrashing the sheets around trying to make as much noise as possible. It's already 11:00 pm. If she holds on to this anger, she won't be able to sleep. If she can't sleep, well, she's going to be in for a rude awakening tomorrow morning. He shut his book and placed it on the night stand. He had to be up early in the morning too, so now would be as good as any to get some shut eye.

* * *

><p>She felt two different sets of hands roughly pull her up and her eyes snapped open. She punched one of them in the chest and had one foot up midair ready to strike when she was caught by the foot and thrown against the wall. The wind was knocked out of her. When she recovered, she quickly got up with her hands ready to strike again, but she looked towards those mysterious figures and found that those hands that had her before were connected to Anbu masks. One was a wolf; the other looked like a…lion? She inwardly groaned and dropped her hands. Can't this wait until later? She squinted at the wall clock— 4:00 am. Her eyes roved to Kakashi's opened room and craned her neck to look inside. She found he wasn't there.<p>

"Haruno Sakura." The Anbu with the wolf mask addressed her.

"What?" She tried to rub the crust out of her eyes. Can't they give a warning or something before they mysteriously appear in someone's house for unknown reasons? She started to walk towards the bathroom to wash her face when she was grabbed by the wrist. She turned and glared. She saw that hand belonged to the Anbu with the lion mask. He seemed unaffected. But how would she know when she couldn't see his face? The Anbu with the wolf mask continued.

"You are to be escorted to Anbu HQ at exactly 0430 hours. We will wait outside for you to prepare yourself." He turned and looked at the lion-masked Anbu. She snatched her hand out of his grasp and waited until they closed the door behind them did she start to take off her night clothes. Then she continued her disrupted path to the bathroom to wash her face and teeth. When she was done, she went to his bedroom.

After learning of their living arrangement, to Kakashi's dismay, she packed all her belongings into his closet. Which was a lot, by the way. She picked out her customized jonin outfit. When she went to the quartermaster, she had it tailored much like Anko's with a few tweaks. Her outfit had a black overcoat with a folded-over collar with two buttons. She had two pleats put in the back. She had a full body sleeveless mesh suit that ended mid-thigh. And because she wasn't as shameless as Anko, she had nude bra fit for ninja built into the mesh. She had a dark red fitting skirt, flexible, but instead of a belt that started in the middle of her stomach, she got that replaced with her medical hip pouch that spanned across the front of her skirt which contained her ninja tools and basic first-aid supplies. Under her medic pouch she had her hitai-ate dyed black; much like Naruto's. The band of her forehead protector was stitched into the material of the skirt with the metal plate held on by the band.

She hadn't got a chance to wear it yet, and if she said so herself, she looks damn good in it. As she was leaving Kakashi's bedroom, she tied her long hair (that now stopped at her lower back) into a ponytail in the middle of her head. She grabbed her shuriken holster off of the kitchen island and went to the window sill. Taking the key from under Mr. Ukki she left out the door and locked it behind her.

She didn't see the Anbu anywhere, so when they appeared from the ground behind her, she let out an earsplitting scream.

"The bastards! Why can't you just _walk?"_ Apparently they felt like answering with their fists because in a split second, the one with the wolf mask was behind her. Before she got the chance to attack her arms were grabbed behind her back and she was knocked out.

* * *

><p>She lifted her head off the cold, metal table. She started to blink trying to get her eyes to adjust to the light resting above her. She rubbed the spot in the back of her head where she was punched and immediately a scowl formed on her face.<p>

"She's awake." She heard a voice echo in the silent room. Then a heavy door opened and shut and she heard the sound of feet moving towards her. She shouldn't be scared; she's in her own village for Pete's sake. So why were the butterflies in her stomach refusing to die down?

A paper and pen was pushed towards her on the metal table. After taking a quick scan of the questions, she smiled. Kakashi hadn't lied. She really was going to be a part of Anbu. That is, if she passed all the tests thrown her way. She heard those footsteps retreat and a heavy door being shut.

She started rolling her eyes when she saw questions like _'Have you ever killed someone?'_ Then she took a second glance at follow-up questions like _'Do you enjoy killing?'_ and _'Do you like the feel of blood on your hands?'_ She felt the only way to answer questions like that was with a generic answer: _'I do what I must for the sake of my village.'_, and _'I'm a medic-nin of the Leaf Village and a Shinobi. I deal with blood 90% of the time so I must cope. _She felt that was good enough. More things like that appeared on the test. Most of them questioning her sanity, others questioning her physical and mental stability. There were some intelligence questions that asked about the basic rules of Shinobi. If nothing else, she knew those were correct. When she was a genin, she memorized the entire book.

Then there was a particular question that caught her eye. _'What is more important; the mission or your comrades?'_ She thought long and hard on that one. She felt that she should answer it the way she was taught. _'The mission is most important. That's true. But i__n the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' _As soon as she put the pen down the test disappeared in a puff of smoke and when it cleared, three scrolls sat in its place. Then she heard the loud voice again.

"You are to deposit those three scrolls on your person, memorize them, and burn them. Although you will return to Anbu HQ at 2400 hours without an escort, there will be a member of Anbu at HQ to take you where need be." Just as she reached for the scrolls to put them in her pouch, she heard the voice again. "Release any information…You will die."

Instinct told her something was coming. She was right. Just then three kunai came whizzing towards her head from 3 different directions and she deflected them with her own kunai. She heard the metal weapons hit the floor.

"You may go now." With a scowl on her face, she grabbed the scrolls and stuffed them into one of the pockets of her jacket. As she approached the door, it flung open before her and she stepped out. Before she took another step down the corridor, she was again grabbed by her hands and knocked out. In the same spot.

When she came to the second time, she was sitting in a chair in what she recognized as Anbu HQ. _Yeah, _she thought. _I'm really going to do the world harm by knowing my way out of some underground base. Shitheads. _She angrily forced open the door and walked out into the cold morning. She's been there about two hours by the positioning of the sun. It must be 6:00.

Not many people were out and about at this time of the morning. Most of the shops were closed. As far as she could see, she and one other person were the only ones walking on this path. That person was…running towards her?

"Miss Haruno! Miss Haruno!" It was a chunin messenger.

"Yes?" She just wanted to go back to sleep. But she realized even if that messenger hadn't come across her, she would've had to memorize those scrolls she was given. By the lump they made in her pocket, she assumed them to be pretty long.

"Lady Hokage wants to see you right away!" Then the messenger turned around and sped off in the direction she came from. Sakura sighed deeply. She turned around and started towards the Hokage Tower. It 6:00 in the morning.

What could she _possibly_ want with her?

* * *

><p>"Sakura,"<p>

"Yes, Shishou?"

"When was the last time you came to work?" When _was _the last time she came to work?

"Um, about, a week ago? Maybe…" She looked pissed, so maybe she should be on her guard for flying objects. And she didn't see her sake anywhere in sight, so she must be taking out her anger on _everybody_.

"When was the last time you had a mission?"

"About… two months ago…" She should really be wary of her surroundings right now…

"_Why?"_ Her hand was resting on the paperweight on her desk. She was going to throw it.

"I took myself off the mission roster…" She started to shrink.

"_**Why?" **_She wasn't going to like her answer.

"Um,"

"Tell me, NOW!" She took this time to duck as a paperweight flew towards her head. Tsunade's eyes were glowering. She lowered her head and spoke fast.

"Sasuke got injured on a mission two months ago and I took myself off the mission roster to help him recover and I never thought to put myself back." When she looked up, she saw Tsunade's eyes had softened. She had a feeling where this conversation was going. She had to stop it in their tracks.

"No, Shishou. We're not together anymore and I would appreciate if we didn't talk about this, rather we talk about why I was summoned here, my lady."

"Sakura, you are being put on administrative leave indefinitely." Sakura looked dumbfounded.

"Shishou, it was only two weeks, I can make it up I promise! Overtime and—" She was sputtering, anything to get out of the current situation.

"No, Sakura. I'm sure you have more _pressing_ matters to take care of at the moment." She winked. _So she knows…Well of course she knows, she's the Hokage!_ Sakura slapped her hand to her face.

"Thank-you, Shishou." Sakura took a quick bow.

"Get out of my office, Sakura." She scurried out of the Hokage Tower. She felt her pockets to check if those three lumps were still there. She then ran to her temporary home.

* * *

><p>She heard a loud ringing noise. She opened her eyes and saw that the clock read 11:54 pm.<p>

"Damn it!" She shot up and smacked the alarm. She was supposed to be up at 11:30, but it took her all day to memorize those scrolls. She grabbed them off the nightstand and stuffed them in her pocket. She tried her best to smooth her clothes out. She didn't have time to change. She grabbed the key under Mr. Ukki and grabbed her sandals on the way out.

After locking the door and running down 3 flights of steps from Kakashi's flat, she went around the back of the apartment complex. She emptied her pockets of the three scrolls.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" She watched as those three scrolls started to burn. She waited until they were little wisps ash before she started her hand signs again.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Then, you couldn't even tell that there were scrolls there. Except for the big patch of burnt grass and that the ground squeaked and produced water when you walked.

She ran back around the front of the complex and started towards Anbu HQ. The only thing she could see that wasn't closed was the pub. And probably most of her generation was in there. If they saw her, she would be done for. She jumped to the rooftops to avoid being seen.

* * *

><p>"Your late." She turned her head to the wall clock as she took heavy pants for breath.<p>

"Only by like, 30 seconds." She looked dumbfounded. The person dressed in all back looked indifferent. If Kakashi can do it, why can't she?

"Tardiness will not be accepted. When you are asked for, you must be punctual." She shouldn't stand up to her superiors. Besides, Kakashi probably started coming late _after_ he got instated. She took a bow.

"Hai." When she got back up, the person in black was gone. She heard three separate bangs. Like someone coming up stairs. Very loudly. When she saw a man emerge from, basically thin air, she nonchalantly slipped her hand into her pouch and kept it there. He looked pissed. Then there was a 'pop', and a scroll appeared at her feet. She picked it up and quickly broke the seal. It was directions. She quickly read it. When she rolled it back up to burn, there was another 'pop', and it was gone.

"You killed my brother, I'll kill you!" He was pretty big. And that was an understatement. He wobbled when he walked and it looked as though his Shinobi sandals were bursting at the seams.

"What? I didn't kill your brother!" Did she? And if she did, that would have to be two months ago. And if he really wanted to kill her, he would've found her a while ago. She supposed she had to fight this guy.

"I'll kill you!" He started running towards her at an incredible speed. She poised her fists for battle. When he was before her, she raised her leg to kick him and she was grabbed and thrown. For the _second _time that day.

When she ran towards and started to punch him, it looked as though he wasn't budging. What was that, dried mud falling? So he was earth style? She started her hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The place wasn't that big. She really hoped she didn't drench anything important.

She found that it worked as the man before her started to—What? Mud? Really? She had a feeling that Yamato-taichou had something to do with this. Damned Anbu. She shook her head and started to run in the direction that the scroll told her to go.

"Damn!" She said as she fell face first. "Chakra wire!" She looked to both of her sides to see who could've been controlling them, but she saw no one. She really wished she had a Sharingan. Or even a Byakugan. Anything that could help her see what she couldn't in this dark state. She really didn't want to fight another person. She kept on her path. But this time she was alert.

"Stop, Kunoichi!" _Damn it._ She thought. At least this person wasn't blocking her path. She started her hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!" She was really going to pay for all this damage done to HQ. It wasn't her fault that they made her fight. It wasn't.

"Hey!" She heard pounding against the wall. She needed to get far away enough before the wall fell. Another corner and three flights of stairs and she would be safe. Maybe. She skidded to a stop when she turned the corner.

"You didn't think it would be that easy did you?" Actually she did. This person was in full Anbu gear. But they also had a type of hood that made it so she couldn't see anything but their shoulders and just above their elbow.

"The other ones weren't that tough. But I'll make sure you go home running." She might as well get this over with. She started towards what she believed to be the last person with the way he was talking.

When her fist made it to his face, he flickered and appeared behind her. The wind was knocked out of her. She was doubled over when she felt a kick to her back. She was on her knees trying to bring air to her lungs when she heard him speak again.

"You're not cut out for Anbu. Weak. Pathetic. You're not fast enough. Strong enough. Come back when you've bettered yourself." The masked Anbu started to walk away. She grabbed his ankle as quickly as she could, and flipped him over her back.

"How dare you walk away from me? Trying to make me give up, huh? Go home, That's what you're saying right? I'll show you what you're missing out on." She was pissed now. Weak? Pathetic? He walked away from her! She was going to give this guy more than a piece of her mind.

She saw him reach under his mask and wipe his mouth. She made sure she put chakra in that one.

"They don't call you mini-Tsunade for nothing," She smirked. He ran toward her with his Katana out. She pulled out her kunai.

As he started to strike, she felt bits and pieces of her clothes being torn off. Looks like this guy was skilled with a Katana. She tried to deflect the hits as best as she could, but this fight was going to go nowhere if she could get that sword out of his hand. She sent a kick to his hand as he raised it for another swipe and the weapon was thrown a few feet back and the hilt of the weapon was broken.

She sent a flurry of kicks to his face and saw that this wasn't going to be a fight about who has the most jutsu. When she punched his mask and it cracked, she saw he was momentarily disabled. It was going to take him about 15 seconds to recover from the shock, so she took this time to reach into her pocket and pull out a poisoned senbon. She aimed just below the pressure point behind his ear. She saw his hand fly to where he was hit, but it was too late. He was going to be asleep in a matter of seconds. Maybe minutes because of his weight.

"What did you—?"

"I would love to chat, but I have somewhere to be. It was a good fight. Maybe we can meet somewhere for tea?" She gave a wave with her hands as she found the steps.

It would take too long to run down the steps so she summoned chakra to her feet and ran from the side of the wall to the ceiling and started to run down from there. Her bangs were sticking to her face from the sweat she acquired and her ponytail and overcoat were hanging below her.

When she reached the bottom of the steps, there was the Anbu with the wolf mask again.

"Well done. You beat one of our top captains. You may enter now." He disappeared into the floor as she jumped down from the ceiling and walked into the dark room. When she stepped in, lights started to come on one by one. Like dominoes, but reversed. She went to the lone table in the room and sat there when the Anbu with the cracked mask appeared from a puff of smoke. He started to take off his mask and attached hood.

"I'll take you up on your offer for tea," He said as his face was revealed to her.

"Kakashi-sensei? Are you serious?"

"Thanks again for the cracked mask and the broken Katana. You'll be paying for that by the way." She gave a nervous laugh. She looked at the table where his cracked mask lye and looked at its design. _Henohenomohej__i._ Why didn't she notice? The face that was used to draw a scarecrow. _Which meant Kakashi._

"Kakashi-sensei, why—"

"I'm not your sensei anymore. We're equals now. But I can't answer your questions."

"Weren't we equals before?" His hand automatically went to that same spot in the back of his head.

"Well, uh—" She swore if he didn't have that mask, he would be blushing.

"Anyways, the senbon that I shot at you was poisoned. Why aren't you asleep yet?" His eyes narrowed as he pondered her question.

"Poisoned? It wasn't poisoned, Sakura." He watched as she started to search her pouch.

"Damn it! I put the wrong senbon in my weapons pouch!" She banged her fists on the table and he saw it dent.

"So you were trying…to poison me." It was her turn to blush. She started to wave her hands in an effort to placate him.

"No, no, no. Nothing like that Kaka-sen—I mean Kakashi!" Then her eyes narrowed.

"What about my clothes? You basically ripped them to shreds! And I _just_ got this one!"

"I wasn't supposed to show mercy. You were my student, so they expected me to show favoritism, so I couldn't just _give _you a break." He looked confident in his choice of a reply. She knew it was complete and total bull.

"Yeah, y—" She stopped as another Anbu appeared from the ground.

"Did you memorize the scrolls?" She rolled her eyes as she remembered them. She nodded.

"Recite." He ordered.

"The first scroll read: Tempura, Sashimi, Yakitori, Tonkatsu, and Soba and Udon." Someone's dinner menu, most likely.

"The second and third scroll read…" She closed her eyes and started to recite all of the rules from the Anbu rule book. When she opened her eyes, everyone she fought (or didn't fight) were standing before her. And look at that. Captain Yamato.

"Congratulations, Haruno Sakura." Kakashi's voice. "You have passed the preliminary rounds. You've gotten approved by your Hokage," _Yes!_ She thought. "And now you only have 24 months of lockdown to see if you are really ready to be a part of Anbu Black Ops."

"2 years? What about my, my job? And my teammates? My _life?_" Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Where was she going to be for 24 months? Then Captain Yamato started to speak.

"Your absence will be accounted for. As for your lockdown, you will be trained in all arts of the sword. You will know what it means to put your life on the line for your Hokage and your Village. You will sacrifice yourself for your comrades, and they you. And most importantly, you will learn the Will of Fire."

"Hai." She really hoped she was cut out for this.

"You will be leaving tomorrow at 1800 hours. The base is at the edge of Fire Country and will take approximately three days to get there. Say your goodbyes. Your partner will be Hatake Kakashi. You are dismissed."

She got up and bowed as everyone before her disappeared. She left the room and started for the stairs with a smile on her face. She was really going to do it. She was really going to be classified as Anbu. She was going to be in the form fitting get-up, and more importantly, she was going to be seen as something more than a Kunoichi. Something more important than Naruto or Sasuke. Anbu. And the first one of her teammates to join, too.

It was three in the morning, but she didn't care. She took her time walking back. Tomorrow, she was going to be a part of something different. And that warmed her insides.

* * *

><p>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-<strong>Time Skip<strong>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

_**24 Months Later…**_

* * *

><p>"Race you to the gates?"<p>

"Isn't it a bit too early to be making noise?"

"It's 11 am. Everybody's up by now.

"Not me,"

"Fine, suit yourself."

They were about a mile from the gates, and each had their own share of heavy bags to carry, but she couldn't wait to get back home. Four months, and if she had a say, she's turned herself into a hardened Shinobi by Anbu standards. She had too much money, and today, she's going to get her standard Anbu gear along with her tattoo. Plus, this was about the time Naruto went to Ichiraku to get his pre-lunch. So if she got there fast enough, she'll be able to catch him before he dug into his first bowl.

She felt him fall into step beside her. It was so familiar for the past months that she didn't have to turn her head to know that he was smirking behind his mask. She's gotten that much better at reading his facial expressions. Four months and he's still been able to keep his face from her. Four months and they'd actually had a cup of tea together three times. Four months and she was finally home.

"I won."

"No you didn't!"

"What makes you say that?"

"I got through the gates before you did!"

"Even if you did win, which you didn't, you cheated because you had a head start."

"You didn't want to race!"

"But yet I conquered in the end."

"Ugh!" Four months and you'd think she'd be able to control her anger. Never worked.

* * *

><p>"Uzumaki Naruto! I have a bone to pick with you!" Said person swung around on his stool to face whoever just interrupted him seconds away from digging into his first pre-lunch bowl.<p>

His expression softened when he saw that it was his teammate who's been on a mission for four months. He shot up off his stool and crushed her in a bear hug.

"Sakura! I missed you so much!" She hugged him just as tightly as she tried to keep from tripping over the bags at her feet.

"I've missed you too, Naruto." And she did. Kakashi was never annoying enough or stupid enough to will her feelings of homesickness away.

"Why don't you grab a bowl with me, and we can catch up?" He said as he extended a hand towards the stools at the ramen stand.

"Sorry, I have a few errands to run. But I promise we'll catch up later, kay?" She gave him the best consoling look she could, but it was nothing to the pout he was shooting back at her. She started to gather the bags at her feet (which basically had _all_ her things) and started in the direction of the more modern part of Konoha.

"See you later, Uzumaki!" She gave a backwards glance as she waved.

"You too, Haruno." She watched as he returned to his seat and started to eat his first bowl before she turned around.

When she walked up one flight of stairs at an apartment complex, there was a man waiting there for her. She dropped her bags at her feet and shook his hand.

"Just sign here and it's all yours." She took the papers from his hands and started to sign her name.

"There you go, Miss Haruno. I hope it is to your liking."

"Thank you, Mr. Yakibushi." She was handed a key and she knelt to pick her bags up. She used the key to unlock the door, and when it was opened, she almost squealed in delight. It looked exactly like Sasuke's house so she should be able to get around without much effort.

She took off her boots and walked further into the flat. It would be better if she showered before she got her tattoo. When she entered the bathroom, it was luxury. She dropped her bags by the door. She saw that the tube was huge, with a separate shower a few feet away. She might as well take a bath.

About an hour later, she emerged in fresh clothes and a feeling of rejuvenation. All there's left to do is go get Kakashi to take her to get her tattoo and uniform. It was about 12:30 pm, so he should be eating lunch on top of the Hokage monument. In their time spent together, he indulged her in his favorite hiding places. Now she would show him it was a mistake.

* * *

><p>He saw a figure jumping from the rocks to each face on the monument. Most likely coming for him on the fourth Hokage's head. He closed his bento box and put it on one of the spikes in the fourths hair. He pulled up his mask.<p>

"Kakashi." He looked up at her. Her hands were on her hips with her legs spread slightly apart. She went without her overcoat today, and she had on a sleeveless mesh shirt.

"Hm?" He turned back to his forgotten bento. He really wanted to finish lunch by himself today. But that's what he gets for getting drunk with a certain Haruno Sakura.

"Do you mind, um, coming with me to get my tattoo and uniform?" Her position changed as she sat cross legged facing his side.

"Yes. But I'll go anyways." She saw a smile through his mask and quickly got up.

"Then come on bed head, what are you waiting for?" She backed up and took a running start off the side of Tsunade's head.

"See you at the bottom!" He watched as she jumped off the monument hands in the air and landed as gracefully as a cat. He was going to take the easy route. He turned off the fourth's head and started down the steps off the mountain. When he reached the bottom, he saw a pout was evident on her face.

"I just ate, so if I were to jump, I would most likely lose my lunch. Consider that a favor from me to you." He gave an eye crinkle with that statement. She rolled her eyes and stomped onwards. She felt him fall into step beside her.

"How far is the tattoo specialist from here?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Not far. Right around the corner. Incidentally, the quartermaster is right beside it."

"Hm." He pulled Icha Icha from his back pouch and started to read. He really hoped he didn't have to hold her hand. He wanted to stay as far as possible from the tattoo artist and Sakura.

When they arrived, he made sure Sakura gave the slip for an Anbu tattoo to the specialist before he started something she would end up paying for, and would eventually foot the bill to Kakashi, since he didn't remind her in the first place. When she was seated in the chair, he turned around and started for the door.

"H-hey, where are you going?"

"I'm standing right outside, just come when you're finished."

When he stepped outside, he replaced his book in front of his face and started to read. It wasn't long before he heard the buzzing of the ink pen and Sakura shrieking.

"What the hell are you doing?" He heard her yell.

"My job!" He supposed that was the specialist's voice. There was a pregnant pause before the buzzing started again. He could almost make out a vision of her gripping the chair, just willing it to break under her touch.

30 minutes later, a pissed Sakura emerged with a small baggie in her hand. In her other hand was a coin purse, that she most likely had to purge into for the broken chair.

"Let's go." She growled. He stepped off the wall and took a few back, waiting for her to go first. She swung the door of the quartermaster open. This close to breaking his nose. Thank Kami for small miracles.

He produced another slip from his pocket as Sakura took a seat in the waiting area.

"12 Anbu uniforms, please." He took the slip from Kakashi and turned it around in his hands. He took it with him as he went to the back room.

It wasn't long before he came back with a big box, most likely containing her uniforms, and pushed it in Kakashi's direction. He sighed. She ran up when the quartermaster produced a small velvet box and took it from his hands.

When she opened it, she took the mask in her hands and started to feel the intricate design. There was a lone cherry blossom branch that spread from the top right ear of the mask, stopping where her real ear would be. Under her left eye, there were green leaves mixing with falling cherry blossoms. The ears of the mask were painted green and pink.

"It's beautiful! How did you think of this design?"

"We go by your codename Miss. And here," He handed her Katana and arm guards to her. "Come back each month and get those refurbished." She took them in her hands and replaced the mask in the box before taking that too. She saw Kakashi start for the door with her box in his hand. She followed after him and grabbed his elbow.

"No, let me." She made the transporting hand signals and they were gone in a puff of smoke. When it cleared again, she was at her home, but Kakashi didn't know.

"Why are we at Sasuke's apartment?" He started looking around.

"No, baka. We're in my new apartment!"

"Oh." He dropped the box on the floor and Sakura started to kick it towards her room.

"I'm going to try it on so don't go anywhere!" Just then, a bird landed on her shoulder.

"Damn it!" She snatched the scroll off the leg of the bird and waved at it to go away.

"Ugh! Kakashi, we have a mission. An _escort_ mission. What mission report did you fail to turn in now?"

He thought back. He didn't remember any mission reports he failed to turn in. _Ohhhh._ He thought. The 'mission' report was supposed to explain his and her absence without truly telling where they were. He heard her stomp out of her bedroom and slam the door shut.

"This is _your_ fault. You lazy bastard." She then stomped out the house and slammed that door too.

Last time he checked, he wasn't the one who badgered him into sponsoring her for Anbu.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for the wait guys! But here it is. Please review!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	4. Skirmishes

**Skirmishes**

_So this chapter goes back to the present now everyone. That was basically how Sakura got into Anbu. I'll give some more insight on what happened in those four months, but that's in due time. Well…_

_Read && Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"Kakashi," She whispered. She saw his head slowly turn to face her.<p>

"Hm?" He opened his eye slowly.

"My body has just about flushed out what they gave me to stop my chakra flow. How about you?"

"I can open my eyes and string sentences together, so yeah. I think the drug is wearing off." He started searching the dark and moldy room, but unluckily, there were no windows so he couldn't possibly estimate what time it is.

"Hold on, I think I can…get out of these…chains…There!" She broke free from the chains by burning them with her chakra. She started to massage her bruised wrists then she set on trying to flush the drug from his body. She also started to look around the room to find anything that could get them out of there. When she felt the immune system start working on the drug, she spotted her overcoat in a corner. After she broke his chains, she tiptoed to where she located her coat and started to put one arm through when she looked up and saw Kakashi.

"Really. Are you really going to put that on?" He stated with a look that said _'Are you serious?'_

"Yes…why not? It's cold down here." She slipped her other arm through the coat.

"Yes, yes. It _is_ pretty chilly down here, Sakura." When her gaze turned to him again he was sitting cross-legged on the cold floor with his fingers interlaced. Then she remembered. He didn't…have any…clothes…

"Oh! Sorry!" A blush was evident on her cheeks as she quickly took off the coat and tossed it to him as he got up. She turned around.

"What? Tired of checking me out?" She swung back around and saw her coat was knotted at his side covering both his penis and rear end. When her eyes started to trail up, she stopped at his neck and noticed it was…bare. She let her eyes go the rest of the way and they widened. He was smiling. And he had dimples.

"So you're telling me, for the time that we've been stuck in this, _hole_, you've neglected to take one peek at my face." He smirked.

"N-no, no. I saw your face, but I-I guess I saw t-the mask on…" She trailed off. She took the remaining steps to his person and stopped when they were inches apart. In all her years, she never thought that all she had to do was get locked up with him while in enemy territory and she would get to see his face. Her hand found its way to check, then moving upwards to trail the scar on his left eye.

"Sakura, _what_ are you doing?" She started to poke and prod the place where his dimples were imprinted. She caught his lip before it closed and started to check his teeth and gums; perfectly white. Her hand patted and felt his forehead and ran through his scalp, possibly searching for bumps, scales, any kind of imperfection.

"If I have to see your face holed up in enemy territory, I might as well go the whole nine yards." He rolled his one eye. It was so nice to see his whole face betray the emotion he felt. She felt like clapping her hands and giggling like a schoolgirl. She, Haruno Sakura, has unraveled the great mystery known to be Hatake Kakashi. She. Felt. _Great._

He gently removed her hands from searching his scalp and dropped them. He started feeling the walls for anything that could get them to the other side. When that proved hopeless, he bit his thumbs and summoned his ninken. When Pakkun appeared he got straight to business.

"I need you to get to Lady Hokage. Tell her it's urgent and we need her in Kusagakure right away."

"Hai—" He was cut off. Something squeaked and they both heard loud footsteps.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Kakashi shot up from his knelt position.

"Pakkun go! Sakura, do it now!" He saw Sakura expertly move her hands through 64 hand seals with lightning speed while he waited.

"Whisper of a Goddess." She said softly. From her mouth blew cherry blossoms and a pink fog. It surrounded the Grass Nin before his eyes went unfocused and his body frozen.

"He's under, Kakashi." Kakashi then made his 3 hand seals and lightning shot from his hand in blade form. In their four months, Sakura managed to create two jutsu. One of them was a collaboration with Kakashi's lightning blade. The second was basically for one-on-one combat.

"Raikiri!" He ran towards the frozen Grass Nin while slicing his neck. Then he extinguished his lightning blade.

"Come on!" Sakura was already outside of the door. Then she turned to her left and right. "Hey, look over there," She ran to where she was pointing. Kakashi swiftly followed her. He watched as she put on her weapons pouch, but his clothes and weapons were nowhere to be found.

"They just underestimated an Anbu Black Ops with a punch that can splinter their skull, Kakashi." He rolled his eyes. _Great._ He thought. She was right. They probably did lock up all the weapons and explosives he had hidden on his person.

"Yeah, I know. They _could've_ kept my clothes in plain sight though."

"Well we can't go looking for them now," She stated dumbly. He ignored her comment.

"We just killed one of their operatives, so they're going to be aiming to kill _us_. This place has to go down." He looked around at all the pillars on this floor.

"Are you sure that's not a bit much? I mean, we killed him to defend ourselves. Demolishing this whole building with the people along with it is mass murder. It can also be a sure way to start the Fifth Great Ninja War." Sakura looked at him unsure while he stood there contemplating.

"Yeah, just avoid killing everyone in sight. Try to immobilize them." She turned towards him.

"You know damn well you and I both don't know how to _not _kill. Baka." She rolled her eyes.

"Try your best. Let's go!" He started running down the corridors. This was not that much different from the Leaf's Anbu HQ. When he turned right, it was just what he expected…Stairs.

"Come on. Now's your time to get used to the layout of Leaf's Anbu HQ." They started to run up the stairs. Sakura chose the ceiling.

"But we're in—" She ran above him and looked down.

"It's the same interior. Just start memorizing now. I know that's what your good at." They've only got through two flights of stairs. Something was wrong.

"Kai!" Sakura was one step ahead of him. The vision before them faded and they were still outside of the room they were chained up in.

"I thought I'd have to kill you where you stood. You looked like you'd never figure it out." The Grass Nin smirked.

"Sakura, it's on you. I have no more chakra." Sakura smiled.

"Finally, I get some worthy action. Give me the best estimate you've got Kaka-sensei." He rolled his eyes at the term of endearment.

"I'd say, with your jutsu…7 minutes min. You can't do it faster than that." He crossed his arms as her opponent stared from Kakashi to Sakura incredulously.

"Are you taking me for granted, Baka-sensei?" _Oh no._ He thought. This was going to end badly. If they were going to die here, he might as well have as much fun as possible.

"Yes. I believe I am." Last time he said that he ended up with four cracked ribs. If she couldn't see he was trying to get her riled up on purpose, then she really did have tunnel vision when she's angry. He saw chakra seep through her ungloved fist as burns spread across where her chakra touched. He stepped back.

"Are you going to stand there like a no-good Kunoichi, or are you actually going to fight me?" Sakura's head swung around so fast he could swear she had gotten whiplash. An unbelievable look was plastered on her face as she stalked slowly towards her opponent. A smug look was on his face. Another person who underestimated her.

"What? Are you _serious?_"

"Come on, Pinkie. You aren't seriously planning on doing something with those small fists of yours. Actually, small hands are really good if you know how to use them. Ask pretty boy over there. I'm sure he'll teach y—" His sentence was cut short by a fist to the back of his head. She heard the familiar telltale crack that told her she had accidentally broken his skull.

Her face was flushed and her shoulders heaved up and down with each pant. The chakra from her hands dwindled until little wisps of blue floated from her fists to disappear in the air.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't…I tried, but it was accidental, and I—"

"He deserved it, Sakura." He appeared before her.

"I didn't even get to use my—Kakashi watch out, the blood!" Kakashi jumped back as he saw the blood pouring from his skull was burning through the old concrete floor.

"We have to go, Sakura!" He ran around his body and started up the real stairs. He soon felt Sakura above her.

"Why do you use the ceiling anyways?" He said in a voiced that portrayed his annoyance.

"It's fun. And it's easier. Takes too long to run up every step. Running on the ceiling is like running on the ground, you just have to keep the chakra flowing to your feet precise. And it annoys you so…that's always a plus." She gave him a cheeky grin and he rolled his eyes.

Kakashi stopped at the top of the stairs. He put a hand up to Sakura that also signaled her to stop. What he saw before him was about 30 Grass Ninja. He muttered a curse below his breath. With their actions now, he knew it would start a war.

"Sakura, we can't get out of her without killing them. And one or both of us will die if we try one-on-one combat." She looked as if she was going to say something, but quickly closed her mouth and dropped her head. Kakashi closed his eyes. Her head snapped up as she figured out what he was thinking of doing.

"No one-on-one combat. So what do you want to do? Mass _murder?_ Kakashi, this is crazy. Do you know how much trouble we will get in for this? How much grief? We got trapped. We should wait for Shishou. We kill these people; we start the Fifth Great Ninja War. Please, don't make me do this." Sakura looked onto Kakashi with pleading eyes. His pair snapped open. She looked into black and red.

"I'm sorry. You know, we _both_ know that if we don't, we'll die. And I'm sure you're not ready yet." He smiled. She gave a shaky sigh. He made the three hand seals that started his lightning blade.

"Go, Sakura." He put his back against the stairwell. He closed his eyes, but he felt her disappear. He smiled as he opened his eyes and saw her unknowingly above the Kusagakure Nin, whispering her jutsu. When he saw that 95% of them were at least frozen, he made two clones of himself and went in.

"Raikiri!" He said in unison with his clones. The blood from the necks he was slashing through got on her jacket and his chest. He saw as Sakura tried to help by jumping from her spot on the ceiling to their necks. He watched silently while he finished slitting a neck and dispelled his clones. He saw the distressed looks on the faces of the Ninja who weren't peacefully put in the genjutsu. When she cracked their necks, they were no more. They didn't even have enough control to close their eyes. When she jumped from the last head, he silently nodded.

They both went for the front door. Just when they were about to reach it, a man stepped in. But before he could say anything, Sakura's foot was already midair. Before he knew it, his neck was splayed at an odd angle as his eyes closed and he fell to the floor. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands as her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry! I was in fight or flight mode. I just…oops!" She looked as Kakashi just smirked.

"I told you we don't know how to not kill." She started to gaze at his lips dreamily. When his mouth dropped into a straight line and his eyelids droop she shook her head.

"If I knew you were going to keep doing that when you see my face, I would've never shown it to you in the first place." He crossed his arms over his chest. She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. You should really think of that in our next lifetime. **_Try not to lose the scroll of approval!_**" Her voice picked up with every word. He pushed past her into the cold and visibly shivered.

"Cold?" She said with a smirk as she walked up beside him.

"You got anything else I can wear?"

"Unless you want _my _ass out for the world to see."He gave her a pointed look.

"Shut-up, Baka." He chuckled silently to himself.

"Alright, Sakura. Now you can use all the stuff you learned in training. Make yourself invisible." He watched as she put her fingers together and made herself invisible. He opened his Sharingan and did the same. Then he grabbed her hand.

"Come on!" They started for the forest. If they got past the border of Fire Country, they were safe.

"Kakashi, it'll take about four hours to get home. If we use the rest of our chakra, we'll get there in one hour max."

"That's good. Once we find the path you know, I'll let your hand go. Got it?"

Sakura nodded once. She felt butterflies moving around in her stomach. Yes, they completed the mission and got the Grass ambassador home safely, but now, when the Kusakage finds out, the Leaf Village will be ultimately attacked. Their last war was only six years ago. But this time, it wasn't because of the Akatsuki. It was because of two soon-to-be newly named knucklehead ninja.

Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura.

Life _really_ sucks.

* * *

><p>They made it to the border in record time. They were tired, Kakashi was 3 4's naked, and it was 2 in the morning. Kakashi jumped off their seat on top of the Village gates.

"I'm going home." He started walking in the direction of the homes in the Village.

"No, you're not! We still haven't thought of the story we're going to tell Tsunade!"She jumped off and followed him.

"_We're _not going to tell her anything."

"You're right. _We're_ not going to tell Shishou anything. _You_ are. You're going to explain to her how you lost the damn scroll!" She put her hands on her hips. He started walking again.

"I'm going home." He gave a wave as she grabbed his other wrist.

"No, you're not!"

"You're not, I am." He tried to get away from her grip as she tightened it.

"Neither of us is going home until we get our stories straight!"

"Sakura, let go." He voice got darker. But she held her ground.

"No! I got stuck on this mission because of you! This crisis started because of _you_! You're going to be the one to get us out of this!" She was flushed from angry.

"Sakura! Stop being so damn annoying and _let. Me. **Go."**_Her eyes widened as she slowly let go of his wrist. But she wouldn't back down.

"No I'm not! You're the one—" She was cut off when she hear a 'pop'. When the smoke cleared she was furious.

"Kakashi! This is all your fault! You lost the scroll! You're on drugs! You're naked! It was your idea that we had to commit mass murder! Your presence annoys me!" Kakashi transformed himself into Sakura. She felt the anger bubble inside her. How dare he mock her? In her _own body!_

_Well two can play that game._ She thought. He had a smug look plastered on his face.

"Do you see how annoying your voice can be when you yell?" But she wasn't listening. She had already changed into Kakashi.

"Sakura. You need to chill. Listen to everything I say, because I'm your superior. My skills can't be wasted on stupid escort missions. All I want to do is sit around and read porn until I die!" At that moment he crossed his hands over his chest. When he realized that he now had breasts and had to put them under, he started to fidget trying to find the right position.

"Stop that!" She shouted angrily.

"Stop what?" He started to smile and fidgeting more because he saw it annoyed her.

"Stop it!" He started to laugh. First he was doing it accidentally, but now he was doing it on purpose. She pulled his vest off and reached under his jonin shirt and started to feel on his chest.

"What the hell are you doing?" He stopped fidgeting.

"Just _feeling_ on myself. How about you?" She started to giggle and he started to squeeze her breasts. She saw what he was doing and started to squeeze his nipples. Both of them looked angry and completely oblivious to what they were doing to themselves.

"Sakura, Kakashi…What the _hell_ are you two doing?" They both turned in the direction of the speaker.

_Oh damn._ They thought.

* * *

><p>"Sakura, Kakashi…What the <em>hell<em> are you two doing?" Tsunade shouted. It was too early in the morning to be called out of her office by Kotetsu. But when she saw the scene before her, her eyes widened. They both transformed back into themselves.

"Shi-Shishou! What are y-you doing here?" Sakura said nervously.

"This is my Village, Sakura. Mind to tell me what you two are doing here? And why were you both each other? And _why_ is Kakashi naked?" At that moment Kakashi was thankful it was too dark to see his face. Because at that moment, the heat pouring from his cheeks told him that he was probably as red as a tomato. Who wouldn't when they were caught masturbating themselves, who wasn't actually them, by their Hokage? He was pulled out of his thoughts as Sakura spoke.

"We just came back from a mission, Shishou." She started twiddling with the hem of her skirt. _We should've went over our story._ He thought.

"That doesn't tell me why Kakashi is naked." She put her hands on her hips.

"There were some…complications, My Lady. Didn't you get the scroll Pakkun sent you?" He looked onto her quizzically.

"My office, now!" She transported the three of them to her office in a half second. When Sakura's feet hit the ground, she almost fell. Kakashi was quick to grab her forearm. She nodded her head in thank you.

"No scroll was given to me. Not at all. Sakura! Kakashi! Tell me what happened in Kusagakure!" She slammed her fist on the desk as Sakura saw a crack start to form. She looked to Kakashi and he nodded. She started to speak.

"We got our escort safely to the Village Hidden in the Grass. The scroll of approval was misplaced, so we were immediately taken into custody. We were bound and drugged, but Kakashi more so than me."

"How so?"

"They drugged him so he was incoherent. He couldn't think correctly and he couldn't mold chakra. They just put something in my system that stopped the flow of my chakra, but my body pretty much flushed it out. They took all of Kakashi clothes because they knew he had weapons hidden everywhere on his person." She looked to him.

"They took the cyanide pill stored in the cavity of my gums, that you had installed My Lady. When we got out of there, we faced thirty-three ninja. They were all killed. We got out of there as fast as we could." Tsunade stopped gripping the table and sighed at the imprint she left there. She folded her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes.

"Do you understand what you two just did to our very thin alliance with Kusagakure?" Her patience was wearing thin. She could tell by looking at the way her eyebrow was twitching.

"Yes, My Lady." They said in unison.

"Then why were you two masturbating yourselves in front of the Village!" She banged her hand against the desk as the crack widened. Her eyes were glowering. Sakura's head lowered. Kakashi's didn't.

"We were trying to prove a point, Tsunade-sama." He said with the utmost respect. She looked as if she was going to shout again, but instead rub her hands against her eyes. She slammed her palms against the desk and raised herself up.

"I want you both out of my office, and back here by 12." She swiftly moved around her desk and to the door where she paused while holding the knob.

"Kakashi if you're late, Kami help me I will cut off your balls and shove them down your pretty little throat." She stepped out of the door and slammed it behind her. Kakashi knew those words rang true. Sakura looked to him.

"This is all your fault." Then she too, left out the door and slammed it behind him.

Women.

* * *

><p>She didn't get much sleep after she went to bed at 3 that morning. When she woke at 11, she was still in her uniform that she'd been in for three days in custody. The rest of her uniforms were either torn or dirty, and she didn't have time to do laundry. She took a fast shower, went to her closet, and pulled out her old uniform; her red Haruno shirt and her shorts. She forewent the medic skirt and slipped her pouch on her waist. She left her shuriken holster on her kitchen table. She was too tired to tie her wet hair in a ponytail so she wrung it out as best as she could. She felt water drip onto her eyes from her bangs and she felt her back wet. But at this point, she didn't care. She just started a war didn't she? So how could wet hair compare to thousands of casualties? She wiped her faced and left. She locked the door behind her and started on the road to the Hokage Tower.<p>

The meeting was horrendous. Kusagakure sent a Declaration of War to Tsunade's office at 6 this morning. It stated the only thing to revoke the Declaration was to send over Kakashi and Sakura. Tsunade wasn't going to send over two of her best ninja to be killed publicly no matter what they did in another country. Clearly they weren't going to get punished for their acts either.

The fact that Kakashi had gotten there earlier scared her. He looked just about as tired as she was. He didn't bother putting on his full uniform. All he had on was a jonin shirt, standard Shinobi pants, and sandals. He was without his hitai-ate; he kept his left eye closed. They didn't speak to each other. She didn't have anything to say and apparently neither did he. They didn't have time to say anything either. Grass was already on their tails.

Security was doubled. It was only 3 in the afternoon and already there were six instances of Grass Ninja sneaking over the border. They were killed. Sunagakure was contacted and the Kazekage was also on alert. If it eventually came to war, Suna was on their side at least. The only people Kakashi and Sakura were getting grief from was civilians who didn't understand that when your bound in enemy territory, it's do or die.

When Sakura got out of Tsunade's office, she sulked on the road home. Her head was hung low and she wasn't watching where she was going. It was only when she bumped into something hard and heard a deep 'Excuse Me', did she finally look up.

"Oh, Sasuke." He didn't make a move to get out of her way.

"Sakura?" He made eye contact but she looked away.

"What do you want?" She said in a tired voice.

"I want to—"

"No." She finally pushed her wet bangs out of her face. Usually she would rather take the water dripping on her face than showing her forehead, but right now, she was _tired. _She didn't want to go anywhere, or do anything with him. She already closed that chapter in her life, and she wasn't looking to rekindle that bond with him.

"What?"

"Sasuke, we're done, okay? You made that clear to me. I don't love you, and you are surely not in love with me. So let's stop pretending like we can pick up where we left off. You haven't said anything to me in two years, so what's the sudden interest?" He just stared at her. She saw his fists clench in his pockets.

"We'll always be comrades, Sasuke. Always." She patted his chest and walked around him.

She shook her head as she walked the rest of the way home. What was up with him? _Oh yeah._ Now that she got her tattoo, everyone would know that she was Anbu. _Jerk_. She started muttering and bumped into another hard chest.

"What the hell is up with you men and blocking my path?" When she looked at the face of the perpetrator, she saw he had gray, erm, silver hair.

"What do _you_ want?" She crossed her arms over her chest, but then quickly fixed them back at her sides when she remembered what he was doing to them yesterday. Well, not really hers, but his, technically. A copy perhaps?

"I wanted to say something to you about what happened this morning." He looked nervous. If this wasn't such an awkward situation, she would've laughed. She made the Great Copy Ninja shake in his boots.

"It's ok—"

"You have really nice tits, Sakura." He smirked.

"You Baka!" She smacked his arm playfully.

"You thought I was going to apologize? My actions were clearly justified by the way you were acting yesterday, and the day before, and the—Why don't we just say you've been bothering me since the mission started?" He folded his arms across his chest.

"Well then, your nipples are pretty nice too," She stuck her chin up in the air, but couldn't keep her façade and started to laugh. He started to walk and she shortly fell into step beside him.

"Late breakfast? It's on you." He looked at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Kaka-sensei. I brought no money today," She patted her pockets in emphasis.

"Oh, really? I guess we're going to be washing dishes." She smiled up at him. These times with Kakashi gave her comfort. She felt at ease with him. During their time at training, they've became more than comrades. She could trust him with her life. He'd told her the same.

**-Flashback-**

_"W-What? What did you just say?" She glanced at him quickly, but turned back towards the enemy._

_"I trust you with my life, Sakura." He closed his smokey gray eye._

_"Well, why are you saying that?" She was panicking. His back was on hers and the enemy was coming towards them in a sea of black._

_"Because I'm almost out of chakra and I can trust you to get us out of here. There's not that many people still living I can say that to." She froze."Sakura, pay attention to your left." She kicked._

_"Well, promise me you won't die until I see your face." He felt the rumble of his dark chuckle through his chest._

_"I promise."_

**-End Flashback-**

"By the way, that Anbu tattoo looks nice on you." She started to rub the still sore spot on her right shoulder.

"Thanks. It feels to me he penciled it in just a little too hard." He silently chuckled to himself. With her fidgeting he probably didn't do it on purpose. When they came across a diner that didn't have too many customers, they went inside. They sat in a small booth near the back and started looking at the menu. When a waitress came over, Kakashi looked up and smiled. It was the kind he liked; civilian, pretty face, red hair, big bust. What Sakura liked to call artificial. They were most likely fake anyway.

"I'll have steamed rice and miso soup." Kakashi said as he handed her their menus.

"I'll have the same." The waitress didn't give Sakura a second look as she winked at Kakashi. He gave her an eye crinkle. When he turned back towards Sakura he saw a scowl that could made the Fourth Hokage flinch.

"What?" He smiled at her obvious distress.

"I hate civilians." He chuckled while setting his arms on the tabletop. "I mean, what do they see in you anyways? Gray," He gave her a pointed look. "_Silver_ hair, they can't see your face, and you're so mysterious, more than half of Konoha don't know where you live! I can't even begin to count how many Bingo Books you're in on my fingers and toes. I bet you could kill someone with your little finger. I don't think you even know what to do with all those suicide jutsu you have up your sleeve." She rolled her eyes and put her elbows on the table. She rested her face in her hands.

"I thought that's what women like; bad boys…" He scratched his mask chin as she started to laugh.

"Yeah, whatever." The waitress returned with their food on a tray. She bent over to place them on the side of the table in front of Kakashi when a button 'accidentally' popped and showed a bit too much breasts for her liking. Sakura's eyes widened then narrowed. She watched silently first as Kakashi switched his attention from her chest back to her face. It was probably too fast for a civilian to catch, but she saw it. _Shameless Pervert._

"Oops! I'm sorry. Do you mind helping me with that Kakashi-san? My hands are full."

"Just Kakashi," He smiled as his hands made a move to button her shirt. Her eyes narrowed more, if that was possible.

"Oh, no. That's alright, honey." Both heads turned towards her with widened eyes. Kakashi's was less obvious. "I'll help her with her shirt. You can grab the tray." She got up and bent over the table towards the waitress when she shot up with a blush evident on her freckled cheeks. She hurriedly placed the tray on the table.

"N-No, that's quite alright. You don't have to do that. Enjoy your meal!" She scurried away from the table. Sakura sat back down with a smug look plastered on her face. Kakashi with a scowl on his face. She could tell by his unusually droopy eyes. If he were in any mood to joke, he would say their facial expressions switched. But he wasn't. So he didn't.

"For what, Sakura." He leaned back in his seat.

"That was clearly inappropriate for the state of our economy." She closed her eyes and stuck her chin in the air.

"Bull." He look was unchanging.

"We're on the brink of _war!_" She banged her hands on the table.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

"So then what? You button her shirt up, she takes you around back, and you give her your address. You disappear from all your duties and activities for that day. When someone comes to find you the next morning, you always use the same excuse." As she was talking, his eyes widened in disbelief. Then they narrowed.

"What is it?" He leaned forward. She started to bite her lip as she realized what she was spouting off about.

"Let me hear you say it, Sakura." He stared intently at her.

"There was a little pussycat I found that was in need of tender care…" She never really understood what it meant until now.

"Have you been following me, Sakura?" He sat back up.

"No! Women at the public baths like to gossip, and you're a very frequent topic." He raised his eyebrows. He wouldn't tell her that whenever he goes to the hot springs, she's always the one they talk about. That would no doubt turn her into a prude. Most likely make her self-conscious. And while that sounds highly entertaining, it wasn't in his agenda of things to do. So he laughed to make her feel better.

"What's so funny?" Apparently it didn't work.

"Well—"

"Hey you guys! All of us are needed in Baa-chan's mission room!" Naruto came jogging over towards their table in the back. Sakura rolled her eyes. She pulled her plate towards her only to find it was empty.

"Wha—" She looked to Kakashi.

"You're so cruel! I haven't eaten in like five days!" She dropped her forehead to the table. "Cruel, cruel man." She continued to mumble to herself as Kakashi chuckled.

"Alright, I'll buy you lunch." He slapped some bills on the table and grabbed her by the arm to raise her off the table.

"It's almost five. Buy me dinner." She heard her stomach grumble loudly. "Ohhhhhhh."

"Alright, once we get back from the meeting." She surprised him and ran for the door.

"Then come on! Let's get this meeting over with!" She pulled the door open and walked outside. Naruto came and fell into step beside her, while Kakashi was a little ways back with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Haruno?" Naruto looked down at her.

"Hm?" Her hands were linked behind her back; she was walking with her eyes closed. He pulled her into a tight hug and she was caught by surprise.

"Congratulations on making Anbu." She smiled.

"Thank you so much," She gave him a tight squeeze then let go. "The only way you can surpass me now is by making Hokage, Namikaze." He gave her a toothy grin.

"Tell that to granny! She doesn't look like she's stepping down anytime soon and she's what? Pushing 60?" She laughed while he grinned again.

"Don't let her hear that Naruto, or you'll meet your demise far before you become the official Rokudaime." She smiled despite the seriousness of the matter. She didn't notice they were already in the Hokage tower. They all started up the stairs, then down the long hallway to the place where millions of missions have been given out since the beginning of Konoha. Naruto held the door open for her.

She saw that most of the people she grew up with and some elites were already there. Iruka was there in a seat beside Tsunade. She found Sasuke and Yamato-taichou and went to stand beside them. Naruto and Kakashi followed behind her. They waited roughly five minutes before she saw Ino's team come in with Genma, Raidou, and Shizune following behind. Shizune was in her ninja gear. She saw Genma nod to Kakashi. He nodded back.

"Okay. The reason why all of you were called here is because there have been skirmishes along the border. Five casualties on our side, twenty-eight on their side. It won't be long until they bring their full forces across. Suna has been informed. They've long had spies in Kusagakure. Their most important spy is in the intelligence division in the Village Hidden in the Grass. His name is Tadashi Nao." Iruka then started passing around a picture of his face.

"If you see him, he is to be captured to erase suspicion that he is on our side. We will negotiate a Peace Treaty and thus end the war. If all else fails, engage. Radios will be given out to everyone in this room. Contact base and reinforcements will be sent out." Iruka got up again and started to pass out small ear pieces with microphones attached. "Frequency four. Remember. This is not an immediate thing. You will be put into four-man squads." Tsunade then stood.

"Team One; Neji, Guy, TenTen, Lee! You four will be patrolling the south perimeters. If they need to be contacted at any time, their frequency is 12." She pointed to the group beside them.

"Inoichi, Skikaku, and Choza, you three will make Team 2, frequency 13."

"Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru will make Team 3, frequency 14." It went on a bit like that for a while. Sakura hearing people who worked best together being grouped. Like, Genma, Raidou, Shizune, and Tenzou no doubt made up one of the few three man squads. Her feet were starting to hurt in her high heeled boots, and it seemed as though the number of jonin in the room was endless. But of course, her squad was called last.

"And Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi, you will make up the last four-man squad. Team 7." _Of course._ She thought. "You will be patrolling the borders eastbound when needed. Frequency 2. All the other specialty squads are to leave at once for recon." Iruka started handing out scrolls to the specialty squads.

"You will be called when you are needed. Dismissed!" Everyone started to flood out of the mission room. Her team was the last to go. She could only pray that they wouldn't get called anytime soon. She just got back from the mission that started this whole thing and Kakashi owed her dinner. Speaking of the devil, he was walking out the door.

"Don't you dare!" She shouted to him. He stopped and turned around.

"Caught." He grinned. Naruto came behind her with Sasuke in tow.

"Hey, Haruno," She turned around to face the voice, but kept her eyes solely on Naruto. Not the emotionless black pair staring holes through her.

"Yeah. Uzumaki?" She put her hands on her hips. If she didn't eat something soon, she was going to pass out.

"Everyone's meeting at the pub at 9-ish. The whole 'last night on earth' type of thing. Since you have no say, I'll pick you up around that time. Look nice!" And with that he made his way past her towards where Hinata was standing. She rolled her eyes. Don't have a say?

"If you go, I'll go." Kakashi's voice surprised her. When she got out of the initial shock, she answered.

"Buy me my dinner first and I'll consider it." He rolled his eyes in disbelief as she started to walk. He followed her anyways.

"But if I did decide to go, what would you wear?" He tapped his chin in thoughtfulness as he looked up to the night sky.

"This. You?" She snorted. He probably wouldn't change his clothing routine for all the money in the world.

"Just a little black dress. Nothing too fancy or too casual. I'll be horribly disappointed if Naruto came in his uniform when he specifically told us to look nice." She huffed. Then she sighed. "But I don't know if I would really mind it. I do like how you ninja look in uniform. Actually, I probably wouldn't be able to resist any good-looking man in uniform." She laughed to herself. Kakashi started to unconsciously tug at his standard wear shirt and pants.

"But I'll go Kakashi, if that's what you're asking. If only just to see what on earth you will wear."

* * *

><p>She nearly chocked at the sight before her. Ino's eyes were just about as wide as hers if not wider. They both straightened and tried to fix their dresses though there was nothing wrong with them.<p>

"Forehead, would you take a look at that. I don't think I've ever seen so many Anbu with their masks off." Ino started to grin madly. She saw the door of the pub swing open and in walked almost every ninja in Konoha in their uniforms. She saw Genma and Tenzou first. They were in their Anbu uniform. Tenzou went without his metal mask. She saw most of her generation in what was probably their best standard wear. Then she saw Guy, and wondered how the spandex was working for him. He too had an Anbu uniform. Then last to come in was Kakashi. He was in his Anbu uniform. Come to think of it, she's never seen him in it. The way it complimented his lean but fit body was wonderful. She saw how his muscles flexed whenever he turned a page in his porn, and when he walked past, she saw how really firm his ass was. The elite dressed in Anbu took a seat in the back. She decided to go to the booth where Naruto and Sasuke were seated and dragged Ino with her.

Maybe she should've worn her Anbu uniform. Her tattoo was clearly displayed on her right shoulder for everyone to see in her dress. She thought she was too dressed up when it seemed almost everyone was in their uniforms, but that was the last on her mind. The dress Ino picked out was too short and too form-fitting. Call her a prude, but she didn't want her goodies out for everyone to see. Her dress was strapless and black. It was cut so that her back was open and the fabric closed at the small of her back. She tied all her hair into a bun except for her bangs that fell over her eyebrows, and the ones that shaped her face. She only wore a hint of makeup; she didn't want to overdo it.

"You look nice, Sakura!" Naruto said as she took a seat beside him.

"You too, Naruto." And he did. He was dressed in his full jonin standard wear. He even had a Katana strapped to his back. He left his hitai-ate at home like most of the other ninja did. Ino was too busy focusing on Sasuke, while Sasuke was too busy staring at Sakura, who was clearly fixated on the booth across the room where the top elite sat. She saw Kakashi turn towards her and grin. She took that as initiative that she was invited.

It wasn't that long of a walk to their table, but the 'click clack' of her high heels made it seem even longer. She took a seat next to Genma and nodded to Tenzou. She felt an arm snake around her waist and she rolled her eyes. Typical Genma.

"Did you forget something, blossom?" He buried his head in her neck. She looked to Kakashi for any kind of help, but his face was buried in his book. _As usual._

"Hello, Genma." She said sweetly. She tried angling her neck to get it away from him, but all it did was give him better access.

"Alright _Kohai_, that's enough." Kakashi snapped his book shut and placed it on the table.

"Ohhh, so now we play who's captain, eh?" Genma's face and arm was removed from her person.

"Arrogant little, you went there Kakashi." He continued to grumble to himself until a waitress came. She was promptly pulled into his lap. At least he found a new plaything. When she returned her attention back to the table, she saw Kakashi staring at her.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to do something about that?" She rolled her eyes.

"He started it, so who am I to but in?"

"Bull."

"Hmph." She crossed her arms as Kakashi signaled to the waitress. She got up from Genma and took the long way around the booth and wrapped her hands around Kakashi's neck while whispering in his ear. She saw him smile and she looked away. Genma was furious. When the waitress left, he spoke up.

"Are you serious?" His palms were flat on the table.

"What?" The book was returned to his face, but she heard a smile in his voice.

"Keep stealing my women, Kakashi. There will be hell to pay." His voice had an edge to it that suggested he wasn't just playing.

She sat there silently as she listened to the one-sided argument of Genma and Kakashi. He clearly wasn't going to get into it. And Genma certainly wasn't going to get a reaction. Is that what he was angling for? When the waitress returned, she saw Genma's facial expressions change from angry to flirty.

"Hey, cutie. I ordered the sake." She brushed off his attempt at flirting and came towards him to set the bottle of sake down in front of him with two cups. She then quickly went back towards Kakashi and positioned herself on his lap. Sakura tuned them out as she saw Kakashi bury his face in her hair and say something that made her giggle. She started to play with his uniform when he whispered something to her that made her get up. Sakura followed her with her eyes and watched as she went near the washroom. _Finally._

She poured herself a cup of sake while she saw the book return to Kakashi's face. It was eerily quiet on their side of the table, so she decided to break the silence.

"So, Kakashi, when am I going to get my first…Anbu…mission." She trailed off as she saw him get up and go towards the washroom. He was going in the wrong direction because that was where the women…She felt her heart clench painfully.

"I-I'm sorry Genma, I'll see you later." Her words fell on deaf ears because Genma had already found someone else to occupy her time. She weaved around the table when she heard Ino shout. She stopped.

"Forehead, where are you going? It's only 10!"

"I'm sorry Ino, I don't feel too good." And that was the truth. Because right then, she felt a knot in her stomach that didn't feel too pleasant. She continued walking. When she got outside the pub she took in a deep breath and let out a shaky sigh. She felt queasy. She bent over slightly and put her hands on her knees when she felt something coming up her throat. Why was she feeling like this? Like she just got stabbed through the gut? Her thoughts were cut short when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Her eyes brightened when she figured it would be Kakashi there to crack a joke and walk her home, but it wasn't. It was the person she least expected it to be.

"Sakura? Are you alright?"

Sasuke.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, so please review!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	5. Infiltration

**Infiltration**

_This chapter has strong coarse language. And is rated M for content. I hope you enjoy it though! Things heat up between Sakura and TenTen. The war starts to move. _

_Enjoy! =)_

* * *

><p>She made no move to shake off the hand that was on her shoulder. She embraced it actually. Accepted it even. She felt his grip tighten and she raised her head to acknowledge him.<p>

"No, I'm alright. But thank you for asking." She felt her balance fail as she tipped over. She was caught by the waist.

"Did you drink anything tonight?" She turned towards his face. _Maybe this could work…If only for tonight._

"Sasuke, my mentor is a drunkard. Don't you think I would be tolerant to even the largest doses of sake?" She snorted and tried to stand up on her own. The hand at her waist didn't leave.

"I'll walk you home." He removed his hand from her waist and instead gripped her forearm. Tight enough to help her stand, but not too harsh. _Looks like he learned some lessons in gentleness._ She thought with a roll of her eyes.

"That's fine. I don't live too far from here, actually." She led him somewhat to the district in which where she lived. The feeling of sickness was gone, but there was still that painful clench in her heart. He walked her to the steps of the apartment complex.

"Goodnight, Sakura." He was just about to turn around when she grabbed his wrist.

"Please." He nodded his head in understanding and followed after her. She unlocked the door with her key then pushed it open. The sound of her heels on the floor echoed through the quiet house. He closed the door behind him. She slipped off her shoes and turned back around to place them at the door when she saw his was already neatly on the rack. She found him seated on the couch.

"Why, Sakura." He hadn't moved, or even turned his head to look at her.

"Why what?" She moved to sit at the counter. She felt sitting beside him would be too much; she couldn't deal with his expressionless face tonight. No, not tonight.

"You made it clear we had no feelings for each other, yet you invited me into your home. I have a feeling I'm not here to talk."

'_Smartass'. _She whispered under her breath.

"No, Sasuke, you're not." She took a deep sigh and spoke softly.

"I just need you to hold me tonight. Hold me like you did two years ago. Lie to me and pretend we're still together. That I have someone to love me unconditionally. Can you do that for me Sasuke? For tonight?" She pressed her cheek on the cool countertop and waited.

"No, I can't. Not anymore." She took a sharp intake of breath. The clench on her heart became tighter.

"But I'm going to, Sakura. For tonight." She heard him get up and walk the path to her bedroom. He was going to wait for her. Like he did those nights so many years ago. She slowly got up to go to her dryer. She pulled out a bra and panties and went to her bathroom.

She clicked it shut behind her and slowly peeled off her dress. She left her hair the way it was. She slipped into her panties and strapped on her bra. She left her dress lying across the toilet seat and left the bathroom. She walked the same path to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She saw he was shirtless, with only his standard Shinobi pants. He had his hands interlaced behind his head with one knee bent upwards, the other relaxed. She spotted his other clothes folded across her chair.

She took the rest of the steps to the bed and crawled in. A few seconds later she was being pulled closer to his body and the sheets were being raised to her stomach. His hands were at her waist and she hugged him tightly. She felt the rise and fall of his chest that let her know on nights like these, yes. He was human. She moved upward to place her face in his neck, and he laid his chin on top of her head. She felt him move. A kiss was placed on her brow. She dug her fingernails into his back. All the memories that she pushed away for so long were flooding her vision. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a shaky breath. She felt her façade crumbling. Her wall was falling to pieces. With that single kiss, he broke the dam.

It was there, that she finally cried.

* * *

><p>He patted the floor below him in search of his sleeveless shirt with the attached mask. When his fingers grasped it, he detangled his limbs from the body beside him and quickly slipped it on. Making sure his mask was in place, he woke the civilian. He saw her eyes slowly open and she smiled. She pulled the covers up around herself more snugly. He glanced at the clock. 9 am? She has to go.<p>

_Damn it._ What was her name again? Taki, Takra, something with a T. To save himself for embarrassment, he felt he should do without names.

"Hey, I have some matters to attend to, so you have to go." She opened her eyes once again and stretched. The covers that were once tightly secured around her became loose and fell below her breasts. He could swear she did it purposely; he saw a wink.

He went to the other side of his room to gather her clothes. She got up (without the sheet) and took the clothes from him. She swayed her hips all the way to his bathroom. He slipped his pants on and then a clean jonin shirt.

She emerged from the bathroom. Where did she get that pen from? She walked slowly and seductively towards him and took his hand. It felt like minutes as he gazed up at the ceiling while she wrote. When she was done, he looked at what appeared to be…an address? He smiled despite his thoughts. She stopped at his door to take her shoes and left out of his apartment.

When he was sure she was gone, he too went to the bathroom. He washed the ink off his hands. It wasn't like he was ever going to see her again. Consistency turned into relationships, and those were too hard to get out of. Plus, he wasn't the type of guy to settle down.

When he dried his hands, he tightly grasped the edges of the sink. He does have somewhere to go. Somewhere important. And after how he brushed her off last night, she probably wasn't going to want to see him. Actually, she would probably raise hell upon seeing him, but he had to make matters straight. He sighed.

She was going to kill him.

* * *

><p>When she woke up, he was gone. She laid spread eagle on the bed. It was probably better that way. If he stayed, she would've cried. And she was done with that. <em>Only for tonight.<em> She reminded herself. Relationships were too complicating. Now she could go back to ignoring him and partially resenting him. She pushed herself up from her position and swung her feet off the bed to the cold hard floor. She glanced at her wall clock. 9:30 am.

She was just about to go the bathroom to wash up when she heard a knock on her door. She let out a growl and went to her closet to fish for her robe. She found it shortly after and secured it at her waist before going to unlock the door. It was the last person she wanted to see.

It was funny because yesterday, he seemed like just the person she needed. And the last person on her mind was the one she ended up having. And now the roles are reversed. So she slammed the door in his face and stalked away.

_Stupid man._

"Sakura. Open the door." She heard three knocks.

"No!" She yelled back at him. If it was one thing she could keep, it was a grudge. She was going to milk this as long as possible. She heard the lock being turned and shot up to make sure he didn't come in, but she was too late. By the time she got to the door, he was already taking his sandals off.

"Get out, you bastard." Her eyes were glowering.

"No can do. I came here for a purpose." He leaned back against her door and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Kakashi, I will hurt you." He knew it was no joke, but he really needed to apologize.

"I came here to talk to you about yesterday." He closed his eyes. Her pair softened. He was going to apologize.

"No, Kakashi, I was being stupid. You don't have to—" She was half way through stopping him when she was cut off.

"You looked _really_ nice in your dress." She saw his eye crinkle and felt like punching something. To save her new house from damage she calmly walked towards the kitchen. Kakashi took her lack of response as a means to say he really did need to apologize.

"Wait, wait, wait. Sakura." He pushed off of the front door and followed her into the kitchen. He saw her going for the fridge so he stepped in front of it.

"I'm sorry." He made sure it was sincere. She didn't buy it.

"I'm serious, Kakashi. I'll hurt you." He stepped aside, but he didn't stop pleading. She opened the fridge and reached inside.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. Really I am." She slammed it shut. That would've made a lesser man flinch. But that wasn't Kakashi, so he settled for closing his eyes to avoid the look on her face. The look he knew was there. Hurt.

"You blew me off…for sexual release? How many times are you going to do this to me? This is definitely not the first, and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last." She walked towards her cupboards and opened them. She paused, then shut them and turned around to face him.

"What am I _really_ worth to you?" That hurt. "You left without an excuse, or even a goodbye. You had the _nerve_ to sit there and whisper sweet nothings in her ear _right in front of me!_ You know how I feel about it, yet you do it anyway. Does it put you on some kind of high to piss me off? Huh? Does it turn you on, Kakashi?" And with that, she stormed out of the kitchen. She had a point. He couldn't count on one hand how many times he left her for company. _He_ thought it was fun at the time. But Sakura is sensitive.

When he stepped out of the kitchen he saw her facing a wall. And it looked like she was staring pretty intently at. Half of him figured she was thinking that was his face, and was trying to burn holes through it. The other half, the one that lacked common sense, thought she was better than that. He snorted. He slowly walked to her and turned her around. He saw she was on the verge of tears. He gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes, though she was looking at something past him.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I really am this time. I promise not to do it again." He pulled her into a hug but she didn't reciprocate. Instead she pushed him off of her and hurriedly wiped her tears. She sat on the couch.

"No, I can't make you do that. I know you need your sex as much as I need water." She wrapped her arms around herself. What was that supposed to mean?

"What's that supposed to mean?" He said with narrowed eyes.

"Oh come on, Kakashi. You and I both know you can't abstain from sex. It's physically impossible for you." She faced him with a serious look.

"Sakura, I don't _need_ sex."

"You're right. But you crave it abnormally, which makes it seem to me like you need it." He wasn't going to win this argument.

"I don't _crave_ sex either. I use it as a means of release. It helps me keep my sanity." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. You couldn't keep it in your pants for a week."

"Bull."

"Oh really?"

"Yes." She walked towards him, similar to how a panther would right before they pounced on their prey.

"Then let's make it official. Abstain from sex for a whole week; I'll do whatever you ask. If you don't, then you do what _I_ ask. Just one thing." She raised a finger and poked him in the chest.

"What about you?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me. I don't have sex." She said with a smug look on her face. She was really missing out.

"No, I meant your part in the bet. Where is it?"

"Look here, mister. I'm doing this to help your body. You can catch hundreds of diseases from the types of girls you bring home. Matter of fact, sit." She pointed to her couch. When he didn't move, she gave him a push in its direction. She then knelt down on the couch facing him. She closed her eyes and pressed a glowing green hand to his chest. It was four minutes before she opened her eyes.

"You're welcome."

"For what?"

"I just cured your gonorrhea." She said with a smirk. His eyes widened then narrowed when she stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, whatever." She got off the couch and went back towards her kitchen.

"I still owe you breakfast, Sakura." She raced back to the couch.

"Really? I'll be back in a flash." And she was. She ran to the bathroom and shut the door. Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in her customized jonin outfit, but went without her overcoat.

"Let's go!" She grabbed her keys from a hook in the kitchen, and waited until Kakashi stepped out to lock the door.

* * *

><p>"Ohhhhhhh, this is so good. When was the last time I had breakfast, Kaka-sensei?" She closed her eyes and hummed as she ate her food. Kakashi finished his a long time ago. He was reading his porn to occupy himself. Watching Sakura eat slowly has long since gotten boring.<p>

"Tell me, how do you finish your food without anyone seeing your face?" She pushed her empty bowl away. Then she put her elbows on the table and leaned forward as if listening to a secret.

"Hmm." He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "No." Then he leaned back to look at the scowl on her face.

"Come on! How do you do it?" She was one second away from slamming his face against the table. He just pisses her off.

"It's easy." Her eyes brightened. "My hands are fast. So is my digestive system. And I have awfully large esophagus, so I guess that helps me not to choke." He said while rubbing his throat up and down.

"That wasn't the answer I wanted. But show me." He stared down at the table. Both of their bowls were empty.

"I don't have any food."

"Neither do I, use the cup of coffee."

"It's hot, I'll kill myself."

"It's lukewarm, I'll bring you back." He sighed. Another argument he wasn't going to win. He grabbed the cup of coffee and grabbed the top of his mask.

"Don't blink. You'll miss it." He brought the cup to his lips and pulled his mask down a bit further. He stayed like that.

"Are you going to do it yet?" She asked impatiently.

"I already did…" He let go of his mask and pushed the once-full coffee cup in front of her.

"That showed me nothing! Do it again!" He stared at her cup of tea. She pushed it to his side of the table. He sighed.

"Sakura, this is the last time I'm going to do it, so I'll do it real slow." She nodded. He once again put the cup to his lips and grabbed his mask. Nothing happened.

"Did you do it yet?"

"No."

"Well, why not?"

"I'm waiting for you to stop blinking."

"I can't stop blinking."

"Sakura, when I do it, you're going to miss it."

"I blink really fast so go ahead." He sighed. She blinked.

"W-What? Are you serious?" She could swear she blinked faster than half a second. But when she opened her eyes again, her tea cup was in the same spot it was before he picked it up, and his porn was returned to his face. The only thing wrong was that her cup was empty.

"You Baka! You said you'll do it slow!"

"I did. You missed it. I told you not to blink." She knew he was smirking behind his mask.

"The bastard," She muttered. He once again snapped his book shut and placed it on the table. He leaned back in his seat with one arm laying across the top of his head, the other resting on his thigh.

"What are you up for today?" His lazy eyes returned.

"Eh, I don't know. Training?" She said while rubbing her belly.

"You're right. You are getting rusty." He said with a smirk.

"Me? What about you? You're a Shinobi. Very good at tracking and not leaving a trace, if I might add. Yet you let everyone know your routines."

"Whatever. I need to train, you need to train. Let's leave it at that." With that he left the table and walked out the door. She made a move to follow him, but a waiter was suddenly at their table with his hand out. _Bastard!_ She thought angrily. She reached into her pouch and pulled out some bills. She slapped some into his hand and stormed out the door. If they thought they were getting a tip, they were sorely mistaken. She spotted him leaning on the wall with his book in front of his face. But he wasn't reading it. He was smiling behind it.

"You stupid man!" She stomped off but he still appeared beside her. When stomping started to hurt her feet, she decided on kicking every stone she saw. They were soon in front of some of the deeper training grounds in the forest.

"Uh, let's not go to this one." She started to back up slowly but then she bumped into him. She turned around.

"Why not?" He said. He turned back towards the clearing. It was a perfectly good spot to train. There was enough shade for the hot weather, and it was secluded. It even had a nice river a little ways over. Then he turned and saw Neji's team. That ultimately meant TenTen. When he saw her come in to view, she stared at Sakura. He felt her chakra get colder and darker.

"Alright, Sakura. Let's go to the next one." She turned and glared at him.

"No, Kakashi. We're going to this one. I _want_ this one." Revenge was the only thing on Sakura's mind. She saw her walk forward.

"Hey white eyes!" Neji turned and then smiled. He deactivated his Byakugan.

"Green eyes." Neji started to walk towards her. He nodded at him. It looked like he wasn't going to train with Sakura, so he should find a nice, secluded spot to avoid being seen by people. Most importantly he needed to avoid—

"My eternal rival!" _Damn it. _This close. Despite himself he turned around and gave a two-finger wave.

"Guy. How are you?" It wasn't supposed to provoke an hour long response. But that's what he got. At least, it felt like an hour. He tuned him out and turned his attention towards Neji and Sakura. It looked like he was teaching her how to unlock her joints to become more flexible. It looked to him like she was trying hard to not be as flexible as he knew she was. TenTen's attention has long since turned away from Lee, and instead she was glaring daggers at Sakura. With the way Neji's fingers were holding the inside of her upper thigh to pull it up, and his other hand resting on the small of her back, if he were TenTen, he would glare too.

"Higher…Higher…There. Now push chakra to the place where my hand is." Which was too close to her crotch. He then let her leg go, probably because he felt her joints unlock.

"Now kick." He saw her back up and wondered what she was doing. She started for the tallest tree and ran up it. When he started hearing cracking noises, he figured she was smashing every branch in her path. When she crouched on the ground in a cat-like position after breaking her last branch, she smirked. _Show off. _He thought. She then got up and started to walk back towards Neji's meditative form on the floor.

What took place had happened so fast, he didn't see it coming. TenTen had somehow escaped his eyesight and followed Sakura from coming down from the tree. She stomped after Sakura, and when she was about a foot away from Neji, her shoulder was sharply pulled back and she was punched in the face.

Kakashi quickly snapped his book shut and dropped it as he got up to go to their position. Neji was there faster than he was and had stopped Sakura's chakra flamed fist from colliding with TenTen's face. All he saw was a flash of movement, and TenTen was knocked to the ground forcefully. Naruto? Then he and Sasuke appeared by Sakura's side. When did they all get there? That was when he got to Sakura. TenTen slowly got up and wiped the blood from her mouth.

He slowly lowered Neji's hand from her fist. He saw her shoulders heave up and down heavily. He saw the bruise starting to form on her left cheek. He saw that her eyes were red and puffy. He watched TenTen slowly get back up. When Sakura's pants slowed, he let her fist go. He realized quickly that was a mistake. She was gone with a flicker and appeared behind TenTen. He saw her leg rise, and strike down forcefully. No one was fast enough. He wasn't even moving. His hand was still where he let go of her fist.

She quickly grabbed her back up from the ground and punched her face. He saw she had a split lip. Why wasn't he moving? She still had her hands on her. The next punch was a surprise. TenTen flew across the field towards the next tree. Neji had caught her just before she collided with it and they flew a few feet. Sakura was tackled to the ground by Naruto. And he and Sasuke were still.

"You want to fight me, bitch? I'm Anbu now! I'll kick your sorry ass!" Sakura started to laugh bitterly then spit blood out her mouth. She shoved Naruto off of her and got up shakily. When she looked as if she were about to tip over, he was there beside her. He moved to grasp her waist, but she wriggled out of his grasp and gave him a dirty look.

"Kakashi, I'll hurt you." She walked slowly towards where Neji and TenTen were. TenTen too pushed out of Neji's hold.

"You got anything to say for yourself…_slut?_" She stood a few feet away from them. This time, he was on standby. Everyone was. They were all waiting for one of them to throw a punch, give them a reason to move in.

"Me? Slut? Ha! Who went back for seconds you whore!" TenTen stood up and pointed at Sakura's widened eyes. She laughed.

"You think I didn't know? How, even after I slept with Sasuke, you went back for him!" She laughed louder. Kakashi's one visible eye widened.

"Shut your mouth," Sakura said in a dark voice.

"What? You don't want your comrades to know you're still in love with Sasuke? That you're still that weak little bitch since Anbu? You haven't changed a bit Sakura." TenTen staggered towards Sakura.

"Was it good? I bet it was. I'd say he is _superior_ in bed." She closed her eyes and hummed.

"Shut the hell up!" Her chakra was getting painfully darker.

"Or what, you'll punch me again? Impressive." TenTen took a small scroll out of her pouch.

"Try me, Sakura." She flipped open her scroll.

"Shut your God damned mouth!" Her hands started to expertly weave through 28 hand seals. She was just about to finish when she was body slammed to the ground.

"Don't you dare." Kakashi growled.

"Get the hell off of me you stupid man!" She struggled under his weight but couldn't seem to get him off.

"Sasuke!" He was there in a split second with his Sharingan blazing. He would do it himself, but he was pretty much focused on getting her to stay on the ground. She was squirming and kept her eyes tightly shut.

"Stop it!" She yelled. Sasuke had forced her eyes open. And when they did, they immediately rolled to the back of her head when they met red. Kakashi got off of her. Naruto came and picked up her slackened form.

Kakashi turned towards TenTen's still smiling form. The look he gave her wiped it off her face. He then jumped and disappeared in the trees. Naruto and Sasuke followed.

* * *

><p>When she awoke, she was greeted with angry eyes and a quiet house. Her house. She sat up as the blanket slipped off her. Kakashi turned around. His eyes weren't very different from the rest of theirs. She rolled her eyes.<p>

"Tell me, Sakura." He stopped with his arms crossed directly in front of her.

"What?" She said in an annoyed voice. Her hands fisted the blanket that was still wrapped around her lower body.

"Why the hell would you try to use that jutsu?" His voice was eerily calm.

"I wanted to teach her a damn lesson, Kakashi." Her voice was picking up with anger. He closed his eye and sighed.

"That _jutsu_ is used for killing! Why the hell were you using it on a _comrade?_" He yelled. She jumped and closed her eyes.

"I wasn't thinking at the moment! You saw how she punched me!" She felt the tender spot on her cheek that was turning purple. She's a creature of impulse. How could she help it if thing on her mind then was to get rid of whatever hurt her? He stared at her for what seemed like hours. Then he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away. A few short seconds later, she heard the door slam.

"Ugh! He doesn't understand anything!" She started muttering under her breath. She got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Do you guys want anything to eat?" She said tiredly.

"I'll eat anything, Haruno." She heard Naruto say. She heard them both sit on the couch.

"I hope you like cup ramen, Sasuke. That's all I have." There was a sigh.

"I'll go get some takeout if the Teme doesn't like ramen." He got up and walked towards the kitchen. He leaned in close to Sakura's ear and started to speak.

"Don't worry, Sakura. He was upset. He'll come around." And with that, he put his sandals on and left out. She heard the door softly click shut behind him.

She walked around the kitchen island towards the couch and sat down. She was fiddling with the hem of her skirt before she heard him speak.

"I understand, Sakura." She looked up to find him staring straight at her television.

"W-what?"

"Why you needed me. And it's alright. We'll always be comrades." She looked away and nodded. She felt her eyes burn. She stood back up and walked the path to the kitchen table and sat down. It was about twenty more minutes before Naruto came back and brought the noise with him.

They ate like all those nights two years ago. They ate as team seven. And when they left, the house was quiet. She was left with only her thoughts. It was nearly ten, but she knew he would be there. She got up from the kitchen table and left without locking her door.

* * *

><p>"Two years and I still haven't been able to control my anger yet, huh? I guess all those hours of countless meditation were for nothing if I can't practice it during the real thing." She said sadly and sat with her back against his. They were once again in the fourth's hair on top of the Hokage monument. She was interrupting his meditation, but if he really wanted to ignore her, he would.<p>

"Bull." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"How so?" She heard the deep rumble from his chest that told her he was laughing.

"Remember, in Hoshigakure? You kept you're head while I was dying, and you killed all those mercenaries and got us out of there." She laughed bitterly.

"If I didn't, we both would be dead right now." He took in a deep breath.

"I want to talk to you, about earlier." She heard him start conversations like this many times before.

"Yes?" She didn't know what she should expect.

"If you need me, I'll be there." She took that as his apology.

"But it's too bad we didn't get any training in. Tomorrow?" She felt they were alright again. She smiled and nodded her head.

"I'd like that." They sat like that for a while until he started to speak again.

"So, is Sasuke really that good in bed?" He was elbowed in the back.

"I didn't sleep with him!" She yelled. He let out a sigh of relief. He didn't know why, but it bothered him that she went back for him. Luckily, TenTen was wrong.

"Okay, okay." He said with a laugh. "I believe you." He paused and she waited for him to speak again.

"But seriously, when _are_ you going to get laid?" Before she could react, he was already off the Hokage monument. She jumped off after him.

It was a race through the dark village that ended with Sakura being locked out of his house while he taunted her. He didn't expect her to break his deadbolt lock with her bare hands so he quickly apologized. It was good enough. They now sat on his couch sipping hot chocolate. Well, Sakura was sipping hot chocolate. His cup was half empty, and his nose was stuffed in his book.

"It's getting late." She looked to him, but his attention was still on his book.

"Yes," He turned to his clock. "It is." He turned back to his book.

"Aren't you going to walk me home?"

"You're a Kunoichi. You're perfectly capable of walking home by yourself without getting hurt." She rolled her eyes.

"It would be the _nice_ thing to do." He snapped his book shut and sighed. He slipped it into his back pouch as he stood up and walked to the door to put his sandals on.

"Are you coming?" She went to the door to slip on her boots as he opened the door for her.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever. I was forced into this."

"You could've said no." They walked down the stairs of his apartment complex and into the cool night air. He stared at her for a minute. When she looked up, he smiled. She rolled her eyes.

"What are you staring at me like that for?" She huffed. He paused before answering

"I just realized it's been a long time since we went drinking together. Just you and me." He looked off into the night. She looked up at him.

"And it _is_ only 10…" She said agreeing with him.

"There's a pub a few blocks from my house. They have the best sake…" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. She stopped short.

"What?" He said with an eyebrow raised.

"Remember the bet, Kakashi. Or I'll hurt you." She said in a serious tone.

"How long has it been again? Three…four days?" He said while scratching his head.

"Twelve hours." He cursed under his breath.

"I can do this. I haven't craved it all day."

"Bull." _And it is._ He thought to himself. He opened the pub door and waited until she walked inside to walk in after her. Despite the late hour, he could see many civilians there. Probably some holiday that Ninja didn't celebrate.

They took a seat at a booth in the far right corner. Kakashi waved his hand for a waitress while Sakura stared at him with a look that said _'If you touch her, I'll hurt you.'_ He knew those words were true. But not only would she hurt him, he would have to do that one thing for her, which would probably be total hell.

The waitress walked with a sway to her hips as she came to their table. Sakura kept her eyes on Kakashi, making sure he wouldn't try anything funny.

"What would you like?" She said in a seductive voice that told him she wasn't talking about Sake.

"What would you like, Sakura?" She put her elbows on the table and leaned forward.

"A bottle of Sake please, would you like one too, honey?" If he wasn't going to do anything to make her back off, she would. The waitress shot up and moved a few feet from Kakashi. There's only one Sakura in Konoha with pink hair and a temper not to be trifled with. If she angered her, she might as well dig her own grave. Kakashi nodded his approval.

"I'll be right back with your drinks." Her seductive voice was replaced with a small one. She smirked.

"Do you _have_ to use that excuse each time we go out?" She rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, you're not my type." He leaned back in his seat while a smug look was plastered on her face.

"Oh? Then what is your type? Dark hair, dark eyes…dark soul?" He was sure she could see the smirk on his face. She didn't look angry, but she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"No," She said sweetly. "I don't really have a preference as long as their superior in bed. By the looks of your package, I'd say you can't count in the category, _little man." _He put a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

"Says a girl who hasn't tried even tried me yet, let alone had _sex."_ He pushed it a bit too far.

"You bastard! I'll hurt you!" Her foot was stopped from kicking him in the jewels when the waitress came back and placed the drinks on the table along with two cups. Sakura smiled sweetly and was about to finish her job when her foot was caught by two legs.

"Give me my foot back!" She wriggled under his grasp, but he wouldn't budge.

"No." She tried to kick him, but it wouldn't work.

"Okay, I'm sorry for trying to kick you in your privates. Will you please give me my foot back, Kaka-sensei?" She said sweetly.

"Since you asked so nicely." He let her foot go. He picked up one of the two sake bottles and poured it into a cup. She did the same and downed her cup.

"Ahhhhh. It feels _so_ good to drink again. But I think our tolerance levels have lowered significantly since we were last at a pub and ordered something. I feel considerably drunk already." She started to giggle. Kakashi rolled his eyes and tried his best not to show he too was getting drunk. He long had finished his cup.

"Speak for yourself," He said behind his book.

"Hey, who won the last drinking contest?"

"I did." He stated point blankly.

"How come?" A pout was evident on her face.

"You threw up first,"

"Oh yeah." She was quiet for a second. "Would you want to have another?" He put down another cup and snapped his book shut.

"You know it." He waved his hand for more sake.

* * *

><p><strong>An Hour Later<strong>

"Sakura! Sakura! Sakura! Yeah!" The civilian crowd cheered as Sakura threw down another bottle of Sake. It shattered on the floor and they cheered louder. She was currently on top of the bar, feeding into the civilian's cheers. She was on her sixteenth bottle, and she couldn't stop. Kakashi was on number seventeen. Kakashi! When she looked for him, he was on the far side of the bar. He was sitting on top of it, a crowd of women around him. She scowled. She saw him wave for another drink and pulled a waitress to his lap. Her eyes narrowed.

"Give me…hic…more!" She yelled angrily. A bottle of sake was thrown to her. She caught it while staring at Kakashi. He was staring back at her. They both uncorked the bottle and started to drink. He finished his way faster than she did. She barely saw him pull his mask down. Well, her vision was escaping her…

"Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug! Yeah!" The civilians started to cheer. _Maybe I should've accepted defeat..._ She thought. She started to sway. The empty bottle left her hands and she heard it smash on the floor along with another cheer. When she lost her footing, the rest of her balance was gone. She heard the crowd 'Oohhh' when she hit the ground.

"Owww," She was on her back staring at the ceiling. Her view was obstructed.

"Well, ladies. I think we know who the winner is here." She found that the figure atop of her was Kakashi, and the giggling she heard belong to the two women he held around their waists. She was offered a hand and she accepted it. When she was pulled up, she felt queasiness.

"Easy there, tiger. I would take it easy on the walking. You may have had a little too much to drink."

"Shut up."

**Ten Minutes Later**

"I told you," He held her hair back as she threw up behind a pot at the back of the pub.

"Shut up." She paused before going back down to wretch. He patted her back.

"I win,"

"Shut up." She stood up shakily and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. When she tipped, he got up to grab her. She smacked his hand away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just, walk me home." She clasped her hands behind her and started on the short path towards home. Kakashi got up and fell into step beside her.

"If it's any consolation, I didn't have sex," She let out a bitter laugh.

"Really now." He threw his arm around her shoulders. Maybe it was the sake…

"Look, cheer up. I just have the best tolerance ever," He stuffed his other hand in his pocket.

"Yeah, whatever." They swayed down the street together.

"Here, I'll take you training tomorrow. Is that better?" He looked down on her.

"I guess."

"I'll be there at five in the morning. And I seriously mean it." He looked up at her with widened eyes.

"Are you…hic…serious?" She pushed him to the side and they almost fell.

"Whoa, yeah. The most serious." They walked up the steps to her apartment. She fished for her keys, but after a few seconds of trying she decided on kicking the door open.

"Fix that, would you?" He tried his best to put the door back on the hinges. She went to her closet and pulled out a pillow and some blankets. She tossed them to him.

"Too far and late…hic… for you to walk home. I don't want you…hic…getting taken advantage of. You can crash on the couch…hic." She walked to the bathroom and he heard her gargle.

"Thanks," He shouted to her. She stepped out the bathroom.

"No problem. Night!" She turned off the lights and he watched her sway to her bedroom and shut the door. He took off his vest, shirt, and hitai-ate and put them on the floor. He put the pillow behind his head and wrapped the covers around himself.

He was going to be in for a hell of a morning.

* * *

><p>He rested his head on the cool, white porcelain bowl before his sake came back up again. What was worse, he could barely speak, let alone think, with the headache that was threatening to split his head in two. When he felt like he was done, he sighed and washed out his mouth. When he stepped out of the bathroom, all of the curtains were open and he hissed while covering his eyes.<p>

"What the—" He saw Sakura in the kitchen and walked there blindly.

"Did you have to open all the curtains?" He said while still covering his eyes.

"Morning Sunshine." She said in a cheery voice. She drank almost as much as him. Where was her hangover?

"Where do you keep your aspirin?" He walked through her kitchen and started opening all of her cupboards in search of something to stop someone from hammering on his head. When he turned back around, a glass of water was pushed into his hands.

"Medicine cabinet." He went to her bathroom and searched her medicine cabinet for the aspirin. He took four pills and swallowed them with water.

"You Baka! You'll kill yourself!" She came towards him and pressed glowing green fingers to his temples and massaged. His splitting headache was being replaced by a soothing sensation. He hummed in delight.

"Thanks, I'll be back to pick you up." And without another word, he was by the couch picking up and putting on his things, and he was out the door.

* * *

><p>They trained and got piss drunk for the rest of the week. But for the rest of the days, Kakashi forwent the aspirin and let her healing fingers massage the headache away. He's been abnormally withdrawn the whole week, and he had a pretty good guess as to why. But it didn't matter anymore, he won the bet. Now he just had to think of what she had to do.<p>

She heard three distinctive knocks on the door but decided to ignore them. She instead went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower. She knew what today marked, but somehow, she kind of wished she hadn't threatened to hurt him if he slept with another woman. Doing her laundry would be a plus for her, and she was feeling really lazy today. She heard the doorknob turn and knew there were only three people bold enough to try that.

"Good Morning, Sakura-chan." Nice, the person she guessed it would be was there. Kakashi came in with two coffee cups and closed the door behind them. He set them on the counter and took a seat on the couch. He waited a bit for her to come out the shower before he pounced.

"You know what today is?" She stared at him with a bored look. Her bangs were dripping water onto her face and the towel wasn't protecting her back from her wet hair. And Kakashi just won the bet she just initiated, so anyone could see she was pretty pissed. He was the one person that didn't care.

"Out my face, Hatake." He almost got the bedroom door slammed in his face, but stopped it with his foot and pushed it open. She took a seat on the bed and waited. He leaned against the wall.

"Don't worry, Blossom. I haven't decided what you're going to do for me yet. I just thought we should go out and train. And here," He gave her a microphone and earpiece set.

"What's this?" She turned the electronic device around in her hands.

"Tsunade gave us new ones, so make sure you tune it to frequency four. I have a feeling we'll be called today." He walked out of the door and hit it twice to get her attention.

"You've got five minutes, woman." He closed it shut behind him.

* * *

><p>"I hate how this thing chokes me," She said while fiddling with the tightness of the radio.<p>

"You'll get used to it. Or get over it, either way." She snorted. They arrived at a different clearing, still pretty spacious, and it provided shade for the late February sun. She set her pack down and was about to stretch, but she saw something past the tree she was leaning on. She put her leg down and went to inspect it.

"Sakura, where are you going?" He had his book open in front of his face and got concerned when she didn't answer.

"Sakura?" He snapped his book shut and set it down beside his pack. He followed where she went; past their clearing where there were more bushes and trees. It was a pretty guarded space. He found her a few feet away, and he too stopped when he saw what she was gaping at.

There were two figures passionately grinding into each other with the occasional kiss or two. He recovered from his shock quickly, but she didn't. And he couldn't blame her. Those two figures were Sasuke and TenTen. But he didn't feel her anger this time.

"Sakura," He tried to shake her out of it, but she was frozen solid.

"Sakura, come on. Let's start training." She wouldn't move. By then the two figures had already gotten up and dressed themselves.

"Kakashi—" She was cut off by four loud beeps in her ear. They all must've had their radios on because she saw everyone paused.

"_Team Seven, Team One! Report to the Hokage Tower immediately!" _It was Tsunade-sama's voice.

"We have to go, Sakura." He said. She was about to reply, but then TenTen started coming towards her. A smug look was plastered on her face.

"Enjoy the show?" She said sweetly. She pushed past Sakura, but she was still too stunned to move, or rather, do anything. She slowly turned towards Sasuke's position. His face was still indifferent. When she blinked, he was gone. Her arm was being pulled back towards the clearing; she had no choice but to follow. She felt her pack being pushed into her hands and being dragged along. No doubt for the Hokage Tower.

It wasn't that far away, but she wasn't really paying attention to details at the moment. She slowly walked up the stairs and moved almost mechanically to her Shishou's office. Kakashi opened the door for her. It seemed they were the last to get there because she could already see Neji's team and the rest of her team standing before the Hokage. She started to speak.

"The skirmishes are getting worse. Grass is trying to bring full squads across, and your teams are being sent to stop them. Also, Team Seven you are to infiltrate Grass's Tactical Division room. Search for Tadashi Nao and capture him. The team to infiltrate will consist of Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, TenTen, and Neji. Guy and Lee, you are to push their forces back with the Recon squads and assist in any way you can. Kakashi, you're captain. You are to leave immediately with Team One."

"I object, Hokage-sama." Sakura raised her hand halfway in protest.

"What?" Everyone turned to look at her now.

"TenTen is only a special jonin, so she wasn't trained in tracking and therefore becomes a liability on our squad. Her being a part of that team would only prove her a hindrance since her specialty is long-range combat, not infiltration." Sakura put her hand down and stared at Tsunade's narrowed eyes.

"That is a good point, Sakura,"

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"But who the hell are you to question my authority?" She slammed her hand down on the desk.

"I just don't understand why we were put with Team One, no disrespect to their abilities, when we work best with Team Three; Ino's team."

"Ino's team works best with their parent's team. _They_ are currently on a mission as we speak. _You_ will work with Team One! Now get out of my office!" She said with another slam to the desk.

She walked mechanically down the steps of the Hokage Tower and out of the door. She didn't want to mess up the mission because of her feelings towards her teammates, and she felt at this point that was exactly what she was going to do. She leaned against a wall by the entrance and sighed. The mission was going to be a complete and total bust if she couldn't get it together. She felt someone come up beside her and whisper in her ear. It was Kakashi.

"You finally get to put on your Anbu gear, Sakura." Then he was gone. She just remembered her Anbu gear. She never did get a chance to try it on, and now, despite the mood she was in, she smiled. She got home with a quickness she wasn't paying attention to and pulled out her Anbu gear from a box that lay forgotten under her bed. A layer of dust was on it and she wiped it clear and opened the box. Her uniform was packaged and her arm guards, Katana, mask, and boots were on top of it.

She got up and quickly started to discard her clothes to get into her Anbu gear. She went to the bathroom to wrap bandages around her breasts, and then slipped on cotton panties. She put on the skintight pants and sleeveless Anbu shirt that looked similar to Kakashi's, then slipped on her vest. She strapped her Katana to her back and snapped on her gloves and arm guards. She got her boots on and grabbed her mask and went to her full-length mirror. She smiled at her reflection. The form-hugging outfit made her ass look bigger than it already was. She tied her hair into a ponytail and put her mask to the side of her face. She put on her pouches and left out after locking the door.

* * *

><p>They all met up at the gates. It was only she, Kakashi, and Guy who were in their Anbu gear. The rest of them were in their jonin wear. Sakura was seated on top of the gates beside Naruto. Kakashi leaned against them. Neji and Sasuke were standing while TenTen was seated on the ground. Kakashi pushed off the gate.<p>

"Alright everyone, listen up." Sakura and Naruto looked down to him while everyone else's heads perked up.

"It'll take us about an hour and a half to get to the border. Guy, Lee, you guys can take off now. We're on different teams. Meet with the Recon squad Eastbound." They nodded and took off in the trees.

"We're going to sneak across the border. Sasuke come here." Sasuke walked over to Kakashi and he leant to whisper into his ear.

"This is a very important mission. The team you'll be leading consists of TenTen and Naruto. Keep it in your pants." He pulled back.

"Activate your Sharingan." Sasuke did as told and Kakashi opened his.

"Since you don't know the layout of our Anbu HQ or Kusagakure's, I'll show you. You'll be leading TenTen and Naruto." He saw TenTen smirk. Sakura did nothing. He showed Sasuke the visual layout of the Anbu HQ so he would be able to know his way around. Then he closed his eye.

"Got it?" He nodded.

"We'll split up at the border. Let's move out!" They simultaneously hit the trees. Kakashi led the group; Sakura and TenTen were in the middle, while Sasuke and Naruto were in the back. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see TenTen was smiling.

"What?" She said in annoyed voice.

"So you like older, more unattainable men now?" Sakura growled.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Just that you and Kakashi-sensei have been spending an awful amount of time together though…" Sakura jumped forward to fall into step with Kakashi. She reached into her pouch and pulled out two soldier pills. She didn't have anything to eat today.

"I thought I told you. If you eat soldier pills, you'll get…fat..." He trailed off as he heard the telltale crunch of the pill and she leaped forward. He quickly caught up with her.

"What do you want?" She kept her eyes forward as he stared at her.

"I'm just worried about your health."

"It's none of your business." Her eyes were still narrowed and she had a permanent scowl on her face.

"Sakura, your attitude can affect our mission," He said in disbelief.

"Does it look like I care?" He put his hand up to tell the rest of them to stop. He grabbed her arm and jumped down to the forest floor. The rest of them followed. He went a few feet away from where the rest of them were standing. He pulled her behind a tree.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Why do you care?" He scoffed.

"Why do I care? I'm your comrade! Your _friend_ first and foremost!" She avoided looking at him as guilt plagued her. Why should she blame him for being close to her? But when she looked past him to where the rest of her teammates were, she saw TenTen staring. Her scowl returned.

"It's just,"

"What you saw today. Am I right?" She nodded. Her eyes looked to his and they softened.

"Sakura. Sasuke is…a bastard, as you would probably put it. He doesn't care about your feelings. You know that. Instead of crying over spilt milk, and possibly killing all of us with your mood, you should suck it up. I know you didn't meditate for two years for it to all come down." She smiled at that.

"I know. But you couldn't let me be mad for just five minutes more?" He chuckled.

"No. Not when my life is at stake." She pulled him into a hug and he whispered into her hair.

'Remember, Sakura. I'll be there." He let her go and walked back to where the rest of them were. She followed as he pointed two fingers forward to tell them to keep moving. She kept her pace with Kakashi.

"How long?" He said without turning to look at her.

"I'd say, fourteen minutes max." He snorted.

"Nope, twenty…min." She rolled her eyes.

"Bet?"

"Of course,"

"What are the stakes?"

"If we get into a fix, loser has to take the brunt of it." She bit her lip in thoughtfulness.

"Hopefully it's not anything bad, you're bigger than me and it might hurt." He chuckled. When they got to the border, Kakashi sighed heavily as she grabbed his wrist to check the time.

"Hey, look at that. Fourteen minutes exactly. I guess the bigger person gets to take the bigger hurt!" She giggled.

"Ha, Ha. That wasn't even funny, _and_ on top of that you said it wrong. You call _me_ the stupid man." She frowned.

"Well thanks for bringing down my mood again." He gave her an eye crinkle, then he suddenly turned serious.

"Okay. Sasuke, your team is to find anything that has to do with the war. Their battle plans, their focus, their objective, anything. Once you do that, you get out and meet back here. Even if you don't find anything, be back at this point in an hour. Sakura and I will be locating Nao. If we're not back here in an hour, contact frequency two. If we're in trouble, we'll do the same. If you get back here before us and change positions, Neji you need to get to the highest tree and send off something so that we'll recognize you."

"Hai." He nodded in agreement.

"Everyone got it? Oh, Naruto. Try not to make too much noise. Move out!" The Anbu HQ was near the outskirts of the village. They jumped the gate and got into the building with no problem. When they got inside, they both swiped their masks onto their faces. Remembering the directions given, Sasuke's team split up from Sakura and Kakashi.

"Since they still don't suspect him, I'd say he would be out in battle right now, or preparing for it." He said while running up the stairs.

"No, he's in the Tactical division. He won't be going on any missions. He supposed to be contacting the Ninja through radio. They need him to get new battle strategies. Take me to the Tactical Division's room." He nodded and led the way. That was on the 12th floor if he remembered. When they got to the top of the stairs they waited. A grass nin was walking past.

"I got this Kakashi." She transformed into the red haired waitress, but she barely had any clothes on. She had on stilettos and bright red lipstick.

"I'll be right back," She purred and slipped a poison into her bra. She seductively swayed her hips and tapped on the Grass Nin's shoulder.

"You're not supposed to—" She tapped a finger to his lips.

"Shhh. They called me to the…what did they call it, Tactical room? I'm the entertainment. They said it's getting pretty boring in there." She batted her eyelashes and leaned closer to give him a better view of her breasts. He took the bait.

"O-oh, I c-can take y-you there, Ms…"

"Takira," _So that was her name,_ Kakashi thought. "Thank you for helping a little lady out. Maybe if you stay, when I'm done I can give you a…private show." She saw him blush and picked his hand up and placed it on the small of her back to lead her there. She used her other hand to wave Kakashi over. When the ninja showed her to the Tactical Division's room, he was already being stabbed through the heart and pulled into a utility closet.

"Make yourself invisible, I'll clear out the room." She composed herself as she walked into the room. She heard cheers and catcalls before seeing ninja.

"What are you doing here? A sweet little thing like you should have company already." She held back an eye roll at his attempt to hit on her.

"Oh no, I was called here by…Nao? He told me they were going to need entertainment here." She said as she sat herself into the ninja's lap.

"Oi, Nao is a good man." She felt him reposition her from his lap to in between his legs.

"Where is he by the way? He asked for a private show." She heard laughter. The ninja whispered in her ear.

"What's your name?" He said in a low voice that showed his desire.

"Takira. Do you have a name, ninja?" His hands found their way to her breasts, and it took all she had not to head butt him.

"Matsuri." She let out a fake moan when he squeezed.

"Is Nao here?" She said between pants.

"Sorry Takira, you just missed him. He left on a mission about thirty minutes ago. He won't be back for a while. Hey Baki! Get the sake. Let's chill for a while with…Takira." She let out a laugh. It didn't portray what she felt inside. Nao was on a mission, so who knew where he could be. At least they were bringing out the sake. It would be easier to kill them.

"I'll serve it," She got up from his legs and went to grab the sake and cups from Baki's grasp. She got up and faced the wall. She poured the poison into the bottle of sake and turned it so it mixed and didn't show. It was tasteless and odorless so they wouldn't even know what hit them. They'll be dead in an hour. To avert their suspicion from what she was doing, she sighed deeply and unhooked her bra. Luckily the red head was busty. She turned around with a smirk on her face while the catcalls and cheers returned. She poured all six men a cup. When she saw everyone took at least a sip she bent over for her bra and heard Matsuri speak up.

"No, no need for that. Why don't you come here and show me a little of what you can do." Her lips formed a straight line, but put her bra back down regardless while walking over to sit back down on his lap. His hands immediately went to her uncovered breasts and started to squeeze them. Quite roughly actually. One hand left and went for her panties and clasped her inner thigh. She heard the door open and the squeezing stopped. She turned her head to see who it was. Nao; which meant it was Kakashi.

"Time for my show," She said it got up from his lap. She saved him the trouble of speaking because of course; he didn't know how Nao sounded. She blew a kiss to Matsuri.

"I'll be back for you," But his eyes rested below her face as she walked out the door. Once it was closed she was yanked into a closet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She could see he was conflicted between looking at her eyes or her breasts. They weren't hers anyways.

"I had to do something!"

"So you decided on giving them lap dances?"

"You took too long!"

"You said I'll be right back!"

"That didn't mean I don't need any help!" He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Just change back so we can get Nao. Was he in there?" She transformed back into herself and his conflictions disappeared.

"No, he left on a mission thirty minutes ago." She huffed.

"So you're saying he could be anywhere."

"Exactly." He ran his hands through his hair.

"Alright, let's just get out of here and scope the area. 2 kilometers north and east from the village." He opened the door. Just as they stepped out, grass ninja were waiting for them.

"So the leaf bastards finally come out, huh?" Her shoulders visibly dropped. He whispered to her.

"Avoid fighting them; focus on getting out of here."

"Sorry Anbu, you're not getting out of here. You'll die trying." Sakura looked to Kakashi and nodded at the window. She appeared beside it and tried to kick it, but it didn't break. She put chakra into it, but nothing happened. It didn't even crack.

"I'm doing it Kakashi," She did her Whisper of a Goddess jutsu.

"I'm a little busy, so hurry up." He was currently trying to fight off the three ninja that came towards him without using any chakra. When the window was frozen, she broke it with her foot. What she didn't notice was the two explosive tags on either side of the window. When it shattered, the explosion went off.

"Sakura!" He saw the explosion and the fire burst into the room. He kicked one of the ninja in the jaw and shielded his face from the shrapnel. It was going to be a long fall. He jumped out the window after her and quickly grabbed her body. He held her tightly to himself as they continued to fall outside the gates.

"Sakura," He had to check if she was conscious. If she wasn't, well…

"Mhm," That was a good start. He was about to say something else but they found land.

"Aah!" She let out a short scream as they hit the ground. The wind was knocked out of him. He was the one on the bottom and well, they were going pretty fast. She rolled off of him as she heard him gasp for air. She moved his mask off his face and pulled his other mask down. She put her glowing green hands to his chest to redirect the oxygen flow to his lungs. When he was still gasping for air, she reached into her medical supplies and pulled out a long and thin cylinder and stabbed it through his chest. When she heard the air come through it, she quickly pulled it out and healed the wound that she made. She heard him cough and sit up.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you for taking the brunt of the fall. If it were me, I would've died from the impact."

"Well, I did lose the bet so…"

"You also chose to jump into an explosion just to make sure I got out safely." She touched the singed parts of his hair in emphasis.

"I've been in need of a haircut. Would you mind…?" She pulled out her kunai and slashed through the parts of his hair that was burned. When she was done, it didn't look very different from his usual unkempt style.

"Is that how you get your hair like that?"

"Yeah, but I usually do it myself." He got up and she tried to, but quickly fell.

"What happened?" He tried to help her back up. She slapped his hand away. She started to take her boot off. She folded it as best as she could and stuffed it into one of her bigger pockets.

"My ankle is broken," She said trying not to sound weak. He sighed.

"Can you heal it?"

"The best I can do is put a splint on it for now."

"I'll get some wood."

"No, I got it."

"It's alright, a tree is right there.

"I said I have it." She growled. He backed off and she scooted to a nearby tree and pulled a piece of bark off with her hands. She took gauze out of her supplies and winced when she pushed her ankle to the right position. She wrapped the gauze around it tightly and stood up. When she found that hard, she leaned against the tree.

"Hopefully, the radios weren't damaged in the fire." He turned to their frequency and all he got was static.

"Well, mine is dead. What about yours…?" He already saw her communicating with someone on her radio. She was always one step ahead.

"Well that's great! I just got blown out of a twelve story window what about you?" He saw her eyes narrow.

"Just give me your location, Naruto…yes I'm fine… Yeah, he got the brunt of it though. Are you going to give me your location or what? Okay. Next time, don't use our target as a human shield, you Baka." She put her microphone on mute. She saw Kakashi looking at her expectantly.

"Well?" He motioned for her to go on.

"So, they found Nao. Then they got caught up with enemy ninja, and Naruto's stupid ass used him as a human shield. He got hurt, and they need me. Luckily, Naruto used his Sage mode to find us." She picked up her medical pouch and attached it to her lower back.

"Oh and, Naruto said thank you for saving my life." He smiled and patted her shoulder.

"It's alright, anytime."

* * *

><p>"Sakura, Kakashi, we're over here!" How he had eyes in the back of his head, she didn't know. Kakashi jumped down from the branch they were on with Sakura in his arms and ran over to Naruto. He had his hands pressed against Nao's chest and she saw blood seeping through his fingers. He set her down and she quickly moved his hands and then pressed hers against his chest wound. She felt the blood seep through her gloves.<p>

"Damn it," She started to heal the wound as fast and as accurately as she could. She closed her eyes and felt the tissue knit back together. When she felt it was enough, she reached into her medical pouch and pulled out gauze and tape. She pulled off his grass country vest and pulled up his shirt. She placed the gauze over his wound and taped it down. She searched his body for any other injuries, and thankfully there were none.

"He's good." She heard Naruto sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness! I thought he was going to die—"

"It was your fault in the first place!"

"Hey, hey, it was do or die!"

"You could've jumped! He's top priority!" He walked over to Kakashi.

"Do you think that explosion scrambled her brain…?" He said behind his hand.

"I can hear you, Uzumaki!" He shot up.

"Sorry!" Everyone crowded around her as she put her hand to his face.

"Hey—Owww!" She brought it back and slapped it as hard as she could without her chakra. She didn't hear him speak, but if she did, she wouldn't have had to smack him. She covered her hands over her mouth.

"Sorry, Nao-san!" She helped him sit up.

"It's alright, just…ouch." He started to poke the sore spot on his face that was starting to bruise.

"No, let me." She pressed her hand to his face and started to heal his bruise.

"You're very…powerful. I don't think you used chakra in that slap did you?" She blushed.

"No. I tried not to. But you look different from the picture I saw of you.." She looked at his features. "You look…younger than what they showed us."

"Yeah, I know. They didn't actually have my picture. They had my father's picture. I'm actually 24…and you are?"

"Oh, I'm turning 23 in a few weeks." He chuckled.

"I meant your name." Her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm Sakura. Haruno Sakura." She took her mask off with the hood. She had to get those for this mission because well…she and Kakashi are wanted in Grass, and their hair colors are pretty peculiar.

"Your hair, is it natural?"

"Yeah, I was born like this. But your color is dark blue?"

"Well, I like pink. It looks good on you. And yes, blue is my natural color."

"I like how it looks on you too." When Kakashi cleared his throat, she jumped.

"We have to keep moving. Naruto?" He looked towards him.

"Nobody coming towards us." He looked around in Sage mode.

"Tell me if anything comes up." He nodded.

"Nao, can you run?"

"Yeah."

"Then you'll have to carry Sakura. Since they're both injured, we'll make camp a little ways from here. Naruto, Neji, you guys will have to split the watch. You two have the best long range view." Neji nodded. Nao got up and picked Sakura up bridal style.

"Thank you." She buried her head in his chest.

"No problem." She heard the deep boom of his voice from his chest. It sounded like the smooth rumble of thunder.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Here, if you want to repay me, tell me about yourself." She looked up into his eyes. His smokey green eyes. She examined his features. His face was sharp as was his nose. He had one dimple in his right cheek. His hair was pretty spiky, as was all other good looking men she knew. His lips were plump, but wide, and when he smiled, his gums showed.

"What would you like to know?" She grabbed his shoulder tighter.

"Uh, your abilities, likes, your dislikes…things like that." He looked down into her eyes and smiled. She kept his gaze.

"I have a natural affinity for Earth. But I'm also pretty good at water type jutsu and genjutsu. I excel at taijutsu because, well, I have super strength. You might have experienced some of it." He chuckled. "I learn pretty fast and memorize almost anything. I think very strategically and have a very tactical mind so I help in rationalizing things and the best-case _and_ worst-case scenario. I like tempura and I like tea. I like to heal, but I don't enjoy taking lives. I like when people annoy me. I don't like when I'm angry. I can't really control that yet. Is that enough?"

"Yeah. You trained under the Godaime, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"What do you mean?"

"She's not the best mentor."

"Explain." She sighed. She didn't want to speak ill of the woman who basically made her who she was, but everyone already knows the good about her; they have to know she has a few skeletons in the closet, right?

"She's a horrible drunk. She has the patience of… actually, she doesn't have any patience. The littlest things tick her off. She has awesome tolerance, though. Her strength is, monstrous. You want to know how many desks she went through since I've known her?"

"How many?"

"1,764. I've known her for ten years! That's how many times she's gotten a new one. Some of them would be repaired. The others, couldn't. Too much damage." She heard him laugh. It sounded like sweet honey.

"Since you told me about yourself, it would be nice for me to do the same. So, I've been a grass ninja about eight years. I was sent over as a spy to gain grass's trust. Like you, I have a very strategic mind. My affinity is also Earth, being that I come from Suna. I like Soda and Udon, and sadly, I dislike Tempura. I actually trained with Gaara for a bit. He spoke very highly of you." She blushed again.

"I healed him, quite a bit. I was also on the team that retrieved him after he was captured. Lady Chiyo was the one to bring him back to life. I just brought him back to full health. While we were there, his brother was poisoned by the Akatsuki. I had made an antidote to save him."

"I see you're pretty popular around these parts."

"Just a few bingo books."

"You're in seven."

"Well my partner is in seventeen."

"The copy nin? I wouldn't expect less." He jumped from the tree branch after seeing the rest of them on the forest floor.

"We'll make camp here. Sakura, can you get us some bark?" Kakashi said. Nao placed her on her feet, but when he saw she couldn't walk on her own, he helped her to a tree farther out. She put her hands on one tree and leant on it.

"This is a good one." She started pulling chunks of bark off of the tree. When she turned back around with her arms full, he was stunned.

"I didn't know you could do that," He said in awe.

"When I said, super strength, I meant monstrous strength. It comes to the point now where I barely have to use my chakra to get things done."

"And it doesn't even show." He checked the part of her arm that was shown for overly large, popping veins or muscles upon muscles but found none. He helped her back to where everyone was making camp. She put the bark in the middle of the camp and motioned to Kakashi telling him he could make the fire. And he did. She went over to where Nao sat a few ways away. He gave her his vest to sit on and she nodded a thank you.

"Could you help me, I need to start healing my ankle." He helped her take the bark out of the gauze while she slowly unwrapped up. He kept it straight while she healed it. When she was done, she flexed it around and put her boot back on.

"As good as new." She smiled at him. She caught him staring at her and turned her head.

"What?" He didn't reply. He pulled her chin the few inches towards his and took her mouth in a kiss. She soon closed her eyes as his hands cupped her face. When he pulled back, he smiled.

"What was that for?"

"I don't know. I couldn't help myself at the moment." She laughed.

"You sound like someone I know." That person she knew was motioning for her to come over. She got up.

"I'll be right back." She walked the few feet over to where he was sitting and looked down on him. He stood up and started to walk away from the clearing; out of earshot. She followed him. When he was sure no one could hear him, he started to talk.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"How many times have you asked me this?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"Sakura, seriously." He closed his eyes.

"I am serious." He sighed.

"Don't get involved with the target, Sakura." He said it as more of an order, than a suggestion. Of course that's what she took it as; a suggestion.

"Why not?" Her eyes narrowed.

"It's not appropriate at the moment."

"Kakashi, listen to me. I haven't kissed anyone in like, two years. Can I have some freedom please? And anyways, I wasn't even thinking of going that far. Thanks for your concern, dad." She rolled her eyes and walked away. He looked up to the sky and sighed deeply. Then Naruto came running towards him.

"Someone's coming."

* * *

><p><em>Sorry if it's a little long. I had a lot of ideas for this chapter. Please review! <em>

_-Keoo19_


	6. Captive

_Language and Content warning. A/N- Some of the flashbacks have already happened in the story. So those are her thoughts. Anyways…Enjoy! –Keoo19_

**Captive**

* * *

><p>"Someone's coming." Naruto came to stand beside him as he watched Sakura's retreating back.<p>

"What?"

"There's a full force of ninja on their way. I counted about 30, but more could be coming. They're about 8 kilometers from here." Kakashi ran a hand through his hair.

"Damn it. How did they find out so quickly? We have to get out of here."

"Right. Are you going to tell everyone?"

"Yeah." _But not everyone is going to like it. _He walked back towards their temporary camp and smashed a foot onto their withering fire.

"Listen up, everyone. We have a force of about 30 ninja coming our way. And they aren't on our side. We're going to have to split up again." Sakura stood as well as everyone else.

"Sasuke, you're going to have to take Nao with your team." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Why can't we all travel in one group? It's more efficient and—"

"And we'll also lead a force of enemy ninja to our village endangering hundreds of lives because we tried to save ourselves."

"Kakashi, we're traveling among elites; some of the best in our generation. We have Shinobi who can see farther than the naked eye, perceive things by just sitting still, and Anbu! The best of the best! Kakashi, I can't be kidding myself when I say we can get to the Leaf safely." She walked over to him. She gripped his forearms and grinned. She was trying so hard to believe the words she was saying. When she saw that his solemn expression was unmoving, her face fell.

"No. No, no, no. Don't do this to me." She started to shake her head in disbelief. When Kakashi continued to look on, she let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes.

"What team am I on, Kakashi." She already knew the answer. She dropped her hands from his arms.

"You're on my team, Sakura." He saw her bite her lip and her hands turned to fists. Then she laughed bitterly.

"I understand, Captain." He tried to lay a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, but when she flinched out of his reach, he walked towards the rest of the group.

"Sasuke, you make sure they all get back safely. Nao, it was a pleasure meeting you."

"And you, Hatake-san." Nao turned to look at Sakura. With a loss of words for what she was feeling, he looked away. Kakashi turned to Sakura to say something, but he watched as her lip started to quiver violently and addressed the others.

"Neji, keep your head up. I know you can increase the range of your Byakugan. Naruto, I believe you can become a better Hokage than Minato-sensei. Keep Sasuke out of trouble. TenTen, if you keep working at it, you'll become jonin." Sakura buried her face in her hands as her shoulders started to shake. The way Kakashi was talking made her believe it more and more. _Stupid man._ He was supposed to make her think she was going to get out of this. But really, what were their odds? 30 to 2? If he accepted defeat, then it was time for her to give up too.

Kakashi sat on one of the tree stumps and picked up a rock. He unsheathed his Katana and started to sharpen it. Sakura started to cry harder.

Naruto came forward and enveloped her in a hug. A hug that expressed way more than words could tell. A tear fell from his whiskered face and Kakashi closed his eyes. Everyone's heads were downcast. All he could hear were Sakura's silent sobs.

"Haruno, listen to me." He pulled her chin up. "If you die, I'll die. Then I can't become Hokage. Then at some point, we'll all die. Who knows how long it will take for the Kyuubi come out." He smiled despite the tears freely falling down his face. "So you better live, okay? Live for baa-chan, and me, and Ino; she'll kick your ass if you die. Even live for the Teme, we all know he's a bastard, but everyone knows that if you die, he'll become a sick, withdrawn bastard." She choked out a laugh. Sasuke looked away but didn't deny it. Naruto bit his lip to stop from crying harder, but it only proved to make more tears well up in her eyes. A lump formed in her throat and she could hardly breathe. She silently willed Naruto to stop talking, but he wouldn't. "And think about Lee, his cherry blossom will be taken from her youth. Live for him, and Neji. Live to have kids and grow old…and live for me Sakura-chan, because…I-I know you love me, s-so much. I-I love y-you, Sakura-c-chan. S-so please. D-don't die." He took her in another hug. When he released her, he wiped the tears from her face and kissed her forehead. He ran his hands through his hair and in the process wiped his tears. He sighed deeply then turned around. He started walking towards Kakashi's seat on the stump. He leaned forward and whispered.

"If she dies, I'll never forgive you, sensei." Kakashi stared at his weapon as the rest of them prepared to go. Naruto faced the forest and started to speak.

"Haruno! I'll be back for you. Me _and_ the Teme." And Sakura nodded and wiped her eyes. She took that as his silent promise, but knew that it most likely wouldn't come to fruition. She hung her head as she willed the tears to stop when she heard footsteps coming towards her. When she looked up again, it was Nao.

"I will see you again, Sakura." He leaned towards her lips and lingered there. But then he turned her face, and pressed a kiss against her tear-stained cheek. Then she felt his warmth disappear.

With that, she heard the rustling of the leaves and footfall on the branches that told her they were gone. And she might never see them again. She slowly pulled out her katana. She sat on a stump next to Kakashi and did the same as he; got a rock, and started to sharpen her Katana.

After what seemed like hours, she sighed and got up. Kakashi put his katana away and did the same. They stood about an inch away from each other. She looked up and stared intently into his eyes.

"We're going to die, Kakashi."

"That's bull, Sakura," She glared.

"To think that you were the most pessimistic."

"And I thought you were the most optimistic."

"I thought you were gay."

"I thought you were a prude."

"I think you're the biggest bastard I've met."

"I think you're the worst morning person I've met."

"I think you have youngest face I've ever seen."

"I think you have the brightest eyes I've ever seen." She closed her eyes and took a pause. When she opened them, he saw they were sad. She stared at his face while he searched her eyes. She didn't want to die. She wanted to be able to go back to Konoha, and when the war actually came, she wanted to fight. She wanted to fight as Anbu this time. Not as a medic. But as good as that sounds, she was only fooling herself.

"If I'm going to die here today..." He didn't object when her hands reached for his mask and slowly pulled it down. Instead, he cupped her face in one hand, and let the other rest on her waist. She reached for his shoulders and pulled herself up. Their faces were so close he could feel her breath fan across his lips. She felt the butterflies in her stomach threatening to overtake her. He started to move his thumb in small circles underneath her sleeveless shirt. Each movement caused her heart rate to speed up. If his hand wasn't securely on her waist, she was sure her legs would have long since given up on her.

"Sakura," He figured he should tell her something to ease her pain on their coming demise. Tell her a joke about it, so she can laugh and hit him. So they can forget the proximity they're in.

"Your lips are so," She took a sharp intake of breath. "Enticing." He took her mouth in a kiss that expressed more than he would ever dare say. She felt him, more than she ever has before. She melted against his body as his hands took her waist again; held her there. When he bit her lip, she gasped and he took that as his invitation. His tongue collided with hers as he deepened the kiss. She moved her hands from his shoulders to around his neck. When Sasuke kissed her, she felt sparks. But when Kakashi kissed her, she felt fireworks. She wanted to stay just like that. Just for a little while longer. But he pulled back, and she opened her eyes. He turned his head towards the trees in front of them, and she saw his one visible eye was full of…acceptance.

"They're coming." He said as she closed them again in realization.

"How far." She picked up her Katana sent her chakra to it.

"1 kilometer." She could hear them flying from branch to branch.

"I trust you with my life, Kakashi."

"I trust you with my life, Sakura."

"If I die here—"

"No. I'll rip my left arm off before you die."

"Kakashi, I'm being realistic here."

"So am I." He closed his eyes. "You will not die here, Sakura. You hear me? I can't lose anyone else." She heard the pain in his voice.

"They're here, Kakashi." She watched him swipe his mask to his face and pull his hood over his head. She did the same.

"I know." She got into a battle-ready stance as she waited for the ninja to appear from the trees. She wasn't disappointed.

She kept her katana in her hand as the first one flew for Kakashi. That was their first mistake. Before the ninja reached him, his head was being sliced through by Sakura.

He remembered being able to get through his first seven opponents with minimal chakra. But Sakura, after she sliced through the first ninja's head, she got the brunt of it. She had to use her Whisper of a Goddess jutsu many times; he could feel her chakra getting weaker and weaker. And he knew that if she used her combat jutsu, at this point, she would be done for.

When he saw her being kicked to the ground, he stabbed his opponent in the neck and used his body to block the onslaught of shuriken coming towards him. He threw the grass ninja away and sheathed his katana. He used the silent killing technique on the ninja about to strike Sakura. He helped her up as she flickered from his grasp to behind him where a Nin was about to stab him with an arrow. She kicked him in the neck. She saw his eyes widen, and he fell. If he wasn't dead, he wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Not without help.

"Thanks," She nodded in response. She went to fight another nin that came at her. She had to unsheathe her Katana again, and her opponent seemed to be skilled in using the Ninjaken. Every time she tried to strike, he blocked it and landed a strike to her arm. Her vest was getting ripped to shreds, and with each attack she was getting pushed farther and farther away from Kakashi.

"Worried about your friend?" She saw the ninja smirk and she scowled. "Don't worry. I'm sure my girl will end him sooner or later." He took a look back while blocking Sakura's strike.

"Or…maybe sooner." She saw who her opponent was talking about. The Kunoichi Kakashi was currently up against was holding her weapon between her teeth and was now moving her hands through seals Sakura couldn't even try to comprehend. Kakashi tried to back up to give him and his opponent some distance, but it seemed whatever she was doing was stopping his movements.

"Kakashi!" She yelled across the field. The ninja she was up against looked to her with surprised eyes.

"Oh, so under that mask is Kakashi of the Sharingan? And you must be…" He took this time to slash through her mask, cutting her flesh from her right temple to her chin. She didn't feel the pain at first, it was too fast. But as blood dripped down her face, a throbbing sensation replaced the quick numbness. Her mask and hood fell away.

"Sakura. The Godaime's apprentice. It's a pleasure to meet you." She scowled as she was backed up against a tree and he traced her face with his sword. She didn't realize she couldn't move her legs until he smirked. She couldn't perform any jutsu, because when she tried, her fingers refused to make hand seals. She glared at him. _How did he do that without me knowing?_

"Such a pretty face. No scars too. You're a medic aren't you? That's fortunate." She couldn't heal the scar now; her chakra levels were too low. Realization dawned on her as her stomach dropped. She was going to die. She glanced at Kakashi again and she saw the Kunoichi was walking slowly towards him. Her sword was pointed at his neck. First, she took care of his Anbu mask. When that fell away, she traced his masked neck and cut the parts at his clavicle. Part of his mask ripped and she could see blood on the exposed skin. Purple veins stretched from his wound.

_Great._ It was poisoned. He was going to die where he stood. Whether it be from the poison, or a slit throat. Whichever comes first. The fact of the matter was he couldn't do a thing about it. She closed her eyes as she determined her resolve. She reached into her back pouch. If he couldn't defend himself, and he had a poison in his system, he was worse off than she was.

"Nothing is going to work, my sweet blossom. Your dead, and so is your partner." Her eyes snapped open as she pulled out a transportation scroll and bit her thumb. When she drew blood, she quickly opened the scroll and wiped her thumb on it in unreadable kanji. She then threw it in his direction. The ninja she was up against was too slow to catch it.

"Kakashi!" She saw his eye move towards the flying object and it widened. He could recognize that kanji anywhere. It was a transportation scroll to the leaf. It dropped to his feet as the Kunoichi stared at it bewildered.

"Sakura, don't!" He yelled. It was too late. Her fingers molded chakra. If she couldn't make any hand seals, that would be enough.

"Kai!" The scroll exploded and enveloped Kakashi in a billow of smoke. When it disappeared, he was gone. And so was her chakra. She panted heavily. She still had a fighting chance right? _No._ She thought with surprising clarity. The rest of the Ninja were looking where Kakashi used to be. His opponent was now beside hers, and they were both looking at her with furious faces. She smirked.

"Sorry, sweetheart. War is brewing. We don't have time to wait for your sorry ass to finish a job." Sakura said with a smug look plastered on her face. Her facial expression didn't portray what she was feeling though. The woman with the sword pushed her opponent aside and walked too close to Sakura for her liking. She pointed her poison laced sword at Sakura's neck, but luckily she didn't touch it.

"I'll kill her, Daichi. That was supposed to be _my_ bounty! Do you how much he's worth?" Her voice was getting high. It was close to a banshee's shrill now.

"No, Katsumi. Just because she took away your bounty, doesn't mean you get to ruin it for me too." So that was her name. She had to give her props, she was beautiful. Wavy, black hair that cascaded down her back; Sakura would kill for her texture. She unconsciously thought about her vibrant pink hair. Her face wasn't the kind he liked though. It wasn't artificial. She had sharp features, while Sakura's were plump. Her eyes were blue and she had the longest lashes. Her nose was straight and her lips…_Kakashi_. She thought back to their kiss and felt her stomach drop. She'll never found out why he did it, or what he was thinking. _God, that kiss was heaven. _She thought while letting out a shaky sigh. Anyways, Katsumi was a Shinobi, so Kakashi would probably have second thoughts about taking her in his bed. She would bring that up if she ever got out of this fix. She laughed bitterly.

"Isn't she wanted dead or alive?" Despite what they were saying, she kept her face hardened. She wouldn't falter; she's Anbu for Pete's sake.

"She's wanted alive. Her partner was wanted dead. It's said he has so many barriers in his mind, not even our best interrogator can get through them." She saw Katsumi sigh.

"Well, let's get this show on the road then." She was caught by surprise when Katsumi took the hilt of her sword and smacked Sakura across the face with it. She felt a throbbing pain, but it did nothing to bring her to an unconscious state.

"At least she can take a punch. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any fun breaking down every single wall she's built. Move, Daichi. I'll rip her to shreds." Katsumi pushed her partner aside. She raised her fist and punched Sakura. When she turned her face from the punch, she did it again, and again, and again. She continued to punch her until she saw colorful circles block her vision and her world start to fade. When her face was puffy and bruised, her lip split and her eye blackened, she understood what she was taught in the academy and what they enforced in Anbu. If it meant getting taken by enemy forces to draw them away from her village, then so be it. She was going to protect her important people. At all costs.

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" He hit the ground with a hard thud and found that he couldn't move his legs. He recognized the village gates. Someone must be on guard.<p>

"Izumo! Kotetsu!" It was a while before he heard footsteps approach him.

"Kakashi, what the hell happened? Why are you…purple?" Kakashi looked onto him with angry eyes.

"Get Tsunade-sama here!" When they didn't move, he barked again.

"_Now!_" Izumo disappeared in a puff of smoke. He felt his breathing slow down as whatever she put in that sword spread to his body. In a few seconds, he returned with Tsunade blazing. When she saw the purple veins stretching across the visible parts of his face her anger was quickly replaced with concern.

"What the hell happened?" He looked on as she held onto him and transported them both to the hospital. When they appeared there he heard some medics gasp.

"They took her, Tsunade-sama." Realization dawned on her as her eyes closed. "But I'm getting her back." His eye hardened

"How do you know they didn't kill her already?" He could hear the pain in her voice.

"She's wanted alive, Tsunade-sama. They're going to break through the barriers in her mind like its nothing." When her eyes opened, he could see they were trying to be emotionless, but sadness was seeping through.

"If we wait too long, it could be too late."

"No, Kakashi." He looked at her with disbelief.

"They could be tearing through her mind right now! It's not only about her, but what about all our secrets, all the information that she's had access to, ever heard or seen, they're going to have it! When they do, it's going to be all over." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke in a low voice.

I said no, Kakashi! I have to worry about the village and my people!"

"Sakura is one of them! She's your apprentice! She's like your daughter, and you're telling me I can't go after her? She transported me here. She could've—_should've _left me on that battlefield. Yet she chose to die." He felt a lump in his throat form as he lowered his voice. "Once they have that information, the war will really start. Why don't—"

"Kakashi shut your mouth!" At that moment the hospital went quiet and all eyes turned to them. She started to whisper. "You don't know how much it _hurts_ to find out that she's gone. But if they have her, we can't get to her." He saw tears well up in her eyes and he looked away. The guilt trip failed. Another plan started to formulate in his mind. He heard her sigh as she started to yell. Their moods change so fast. Her and a certain pink-haired Kunoichi he knew.

"Get me a room! Get him on a bed! I want him diagnosed immediately!" He heard her bark orders and rolled his eyes. If it was that serious, he would've been dead by now. He stared at the ceiling waiting for his bed to come. When he saw Ino turn the corner, their eyes met. She shrieked and ran out of the hospital. _Great._ If he could move his legs, he would probably be in his bathroom right now, suturing up his wound. The purplish veins marking his face could probably wait until morning. What's worse is that she's going to go telling everyone. He's basically dead. If not by Naruto, then by the rest of Konoha's 12.

Soon, he was being lifted onto a bed and pushed to what he could only assume was the ER. An IV drip was practically being stabbed into his arm. A light was being flashed into his eye. When a medic reached for his mask, he grabbed her wrist forcefully.

"No."

"But—"

"No."

"Hatake-san you need to be—"

"No."

"Hatake-san if you want to be healed, we need to get rid of that mask!" He stared at her blankly. Her cheeks were flushed. It just wasn't as fun getting people angry as it was with Sakura.

"Then get me Tsunade-sama." The nurse snatched her hand out of his grip and went for the door. He let out a shaky sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He pulled at his scalp. But when that didn't give him the release he needed, when it didn't make him forget the past two hours, he laid a hand across his eyes. Sakura's captured and there's nothing he can do about it if he can't walk. The worse thing is, she's not going to let out any information. She's going to get beaten, and her mind will be searched. She's going to be mentally unstable when they're done with her. He's knows that she'd rather die before leaking anything to them. It doesn't matter if the barriers in her mind weren't yet stable. If her mind is as tough as she is, they're going to settle for just killing her.

He thought back to before the fighting started. _Why did I kiss her?_ He squeezed his temples. He could've done something else. He could've told her a joke, made her feel better. Then they would release each other, and their closeness would be forgotten. But he said that her damned lips were enticing. _What the hell is wrong with you, Hatake? _He's going to laugh about it when she gets back.

_When she gets back._ He tried to reassure himself that he was going to get her back. When it left him with a feeling of guilt, he heard the doorknob turn and it was the last person he wanted to see. Or more accurately, the last person who wanted to see him, but instead wanted to see his pink-haired teammate in his place. Hell was going to take place in this hospital room.

Naruto had stalked into the room and snatched him off the bed by his vest. His eyes were red and the whiskers were outlined on his face. He could see Sasuke come in the room after him; Sharingan blazing. He didn't look too happy either. Sasuke eyed him silently as he closed and locked the door. Hell was going to take place in this hospital room.

"I'll never forgive you." He figured that was okay; he'll never forgive himself either. Or Sakura. She saved his sorry ass when she could've saved herself. For thinking that being a martyr was a good thing, that looking death in the eyes was something to look forward to. That being revered as a hero was everything when you have nothing else to do but die. Isn't that what he wanted? Isn't that how he wanted to die? But then, the roles were reversed. And here he was, being looked down upon by his ex-student. He briefly wondered if it was her in this hospital bed, would she be getting bagged on because he was captured? He inwardly sighed.

"So did you 'accidentally' forget to get her when you transported your ass back to Konoha, or did you think she would be fine caught up in enemy hands?" It was Sasuke's crisp voice that boomed across the room now. He walked with his hands in his pockets to stand beside Naruto. He really wished he could stand. With his feet barely on the floor now that Naruto had a hold of him, he was in a pretty tight spot. What could he do if he couldn't move?

"Tell me, Kakashi. Tell me now." He had his kunai too close to one of the veins now marking his face. Kakashi closed his eyes and exhaled a breath.

"It was her choice." Naruto was taken aback by his words. His eyes told him to continue. "I was immobilized and poisoned. She figured that I was better off alive, and that she could get through it alone. Before I knew it, she threw the scroll at me and activated it." His eyes went wide. Sasuke's narrowed. "So now, she's either captured…or dead." Naruto's fist swung back and punched him. He flexed his jaw. It was fractured. He could tell by the pain he felt when he tried to move it. He would continue anyways.

"You can sit here and punch me, Naruto. Take me to hell and back. I'll sit here with you and I'll take it. Kami knows I deserve it. But if you want to go out and search for her, kill the bastards who captured her and bring Sakura home, then we could do that too." Naruto stared at him intently.

"Who do you want?" Kakashi quickly went through plausible scenarios of what could happen, who would be best, and a run through scenario; like she taught him.

"Ino, Tenzou, Shikamaru, and Neji." Naruto nodded. He looked at the clock. It was only 8. "I need them at the gate by midnight. Pack light, but bring all the necessities. Keep it quiet, Naruto. We can all get locked up for treason." He was being placed back on his bed. His hand went back to his eyes as he heard the door click shut. He then thought back to their earlier moments.

**-Flashback-**

"_If I die here—"_

"_No. I'll rip my left arm off before you die."_

"_Kakashi, I'm being realistic here."_

"_So am I. You will not die here, Sakura. You hear me? I can't lose anyone else."_

**-End Flashback-**

It was then that he let himself be consumed by guilt.

'_Sakura, please be alive.'_

* * *

><p>"Get up." She was being pulled by her ponytail. She really didn't like her hair being touched. Subconsciously, her leg lifted and kicked whatever was within her reach. They're going to learn that she doesn't need chakra anymore to make an impact. She hit what she assumed was the outer part of a knee and felt it bend the other way. The <em>wrong<em> way. But when she heard a hiss, that was when she was satisfied.

"Ah!" That was short lived because her head was being yanked so fast and so hard, she got whiplash.

"Get up, leaf bastard." So that's what they called them in Grass Country. But she wouldn't move. She was now seated against a dirty, bloody wall. Most of it was probably hers. Her chains were tied above her head so she couldn't slump too much. They took all her gear. The only thing that identified her as Anbu was her tattoo. They took her gloves, her vest, her Katana, her pouches and her boots. Her mask had long since been broken and her hair was sticking to her body. From what she could see, bruises marked her arms and she felt some on her face. They must've given her some sedative; it looks like they roughed her up a bit while she was asleep.

"Get up!" She was smacked across the face, but she refused to wince. Her face was throbbing now. She felt it on her left cheek. They then pulled her up by her sleeveless shirt and pushed against the wall. When her knees buckled, she figured the ninja gave up because she heard his lopsided footsteps leave her. She heard the heavy door creak open then slam shut. She sighed heavily.

She was barely hanging on. Whatever they gave her, she couldn't mold chakra. She could barely move, and opening her eyes hurt. She remembered the last time she was in this room. He made being captured that much easier.

"_Kakashi…" _She whispered as she closed her eyes and relived their moments before the battle. She would give anything to kiss him again. Kakashi never does anything he doesn't want to unless he is specifically ordered to do it. She didn't order him to kiss her, right? Then he went and said her lips were enticing. What the hell is that supposed to mean? She dropped her shoulders. '_Anyways, I'm not his type. It wouldn't work.'_ She tried to reassure herself with the little things. She was a Kunoichi. Kakashi didn't get into relationships. All he wants is sex. The list was endless. She started to bullet all the many reasons why she and Kakashi couldn't be more than friends. There was the age difference, but Ino has sex with men who are forty, so why should that matter? Plus, Kakashi was only thirty-six. She started going through plausible scenarios of what could happen if she and Kakashi got into a relationship and it went bust when the door swung open.

She saw Katsumi and Daichi walk in with another unnamed ninja. He was in a long black cloak, so she figured he was an interrogator. She needed to prolong this as long as possible. It would mean her getting hit, but anything was good as long as they didn't raid her mind. So she tilted her head backwards and laughed.

"So this is who you get to reveal my deepest secrets? Pathetic." She laughed again and narrowed her eyes. "When they said that Kusagakure wasn't as advanced as the five Great Ninja Villages, I guess they weren't lying." He struck her face. When she turned again she started to laugh. It's working.

"Give me someone who can hit like a man, not a little girl. But seriously, is this _all_ you have? I'm pretty sure I can do better in pulling out information, and I wasn't even trained in interrogation. I'm a _medic._" She snorted as the interrogator looked at her with angry eyes. He lifted his hand and struck her again. She licked her dried, cracked lips and tasted blood.

"That's more like it, little boy. How old are you, fifteen?" His hand shot up again but then Daichi was there and took a hold of it. She continued to rant.

"How 'bout when this whole war thing is over, you take yourself over to the Leaf for some training. I'm sure Ibiki will rough you up real good." His eyes widened at the mention of one of the greatest interrogators the Shinobi world has ever produced.

"Now, now, Sakura. Don't get too cocky. I'm sure Akihiko can rip you a new one." Her expression was one of mock fear. Then she laughed

"Come on, princess. Give me your best shot." Akihiko snatched his hand away from Daichi and went for her chains.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Akihiko?" She looked at him with concerned eyes.

"You don't have any chakra, what are you supposed to do?" She smiled sweetly. Daichi left the room. _Smart man._ She thought. If Akihiko was really serious about taking off her chains, she was going to make sure he regretted it.

"Oh nothing, sweet prince. Just take the other one off, and we can get the interrogation moving." Stupidly, he did what she said. When the last chain came off, she rubbed her sore wrist and flexed her arms. They've been stuck in the same position for so long; she lost the feeling in them a while ago. But the circulation was slowly coming back, and she could see some of her creamy color return to her now pale skin.

He turned and tried to lead her to what she assumed was an interrogation room. She could only guess, she could barely see. But Akihiko's reign was short lived. He was getting kicked in the back of the head by a pink-haired medic-nin, and if he wasn't dead, he wasn't moving either. She broke for the heavy metal door. It swung open before she got there and there were ninja already armed with…syringes? Before she knew it, one was being stabbed in her arm.

_Damn it. _

* * *

><p>She tapped her perfectly manicured nails on the arm of the couch she was currently sitting on. She felt her eye twitch while she half listened to them rant on about nonsense. To keep from grabbing and ultimately ruining her new couch, she tried to think of what a blissful dream she was having. Sake, there was so much sake. And she won every game she bet on. It was perfect. She crossed her legs. Why they were calling a meeting 11:00 at night was beyond her. She yawned. She remembered them saying something about treason, but she wasn't really paying attention.<p>

"Tsunade, are you listening?" She heard Homura say. She briefly contemplated digging her red fingernails into her scalp. But then again, the elders would take that as her not being able to take the stress. Then they'll hand it over to Naruto, who damn sure isn't ready to take the title yet. She better be dead and gone when they give it to him, too.

"Yes, Homura. I just don't understand. I told him no. Kakashi doesn't disobey orders. He's probably the most loyal Shinobi I know." She stared at him, a feeling of annoyance creeping up on her.

"We told you, Root members informed us of them planning to go after Sakura." Her vein popped and Tsunade blew up.

"Root? Why the hell is Root still active? Danzo is dead, damn it! They should've been disbanded! Why the—"

"Tsunade! Calm down. Koharu keeps in charge or Root. We keep them under wraps, but we still have them following your Shinobi. After that incident in Kusagakure, we've had to keep a close eye on Kakashi and Sakura. What a menace, those two Shinobi. One of our members overheard Naruto, Kakashi, and the Uchiha planning to rescue her." Tsunade's eyes widened.

"The little," She mumbled as she got up and walked out of the room.

"Tsunade, where are you going?"

"To deal with some rats!" She slammed the door behind her. She stomped all the way back to her office and slowly sat down in her chair. She rested her head on the table as she thought about how hard this job's gotten. No matter how much she loves Sakura, sending them out would be too big of a risk. She felt the tears well up and her eyes and closed them tightly. She did enough crying for the night. Anyways, she couldn't just let them go. The elders would call the Daimyo on account of her abusing her powers. He would have her overthrown by morning and they would strip them of their rank, and for Kakashi…he would be executed. She sighed.

"Shizune!" She came bounding in the room with Ton Ton at her heels.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Get those Root bastards to close the gates, secure all exits. Nobody gets in or out without a certified mission scroll, or something approved by me." She didn't pick her head up from the desk.

"Ma'am?" She was hesitant about staying when her mentor was clearly in distress, but continued anyways.

"What, Shizune." She growled.

"Why is the Village being put on lockdown?" She picked her head up and set it in her hands.

"We've got a code blue."

"Treason?" She said with disbelief in her voice.

"Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke are trying to go rescue Sakura."

"What?"

"She was captured."

"But was—"

"Shizune, get to it!" She scurried out of the room. Tsunade again laid her head on the desk. She felt the first pang in her heart that told her the tears were inevitable. Her head was still covered in her arms when she heard the door open again. There was a slight hesitation in the footsteps. It must be Shizune. She heard a drawer open and something being put on her desk. When she heard the door click shut, she lifted her head to peer at the unidentified object.

"Oh, Shizune." It was her bottle of sake and a glass. She uncorked the bottle with her hand and poured her cup to the brim. She raised it with a quiver of her lips and tears in her eyes.

"To being Hokage," Her voice broke. "And to how much we sacrifice."

* * *

><p>"We've got a problem." Kakashi watched as the people he asked for moved into Naruto's living area. He was passing the time with his book, but when he heard those four words, he froze.<p>

"What do you mean?" Naruto turned behind him and closed the curtains before he leant on his expansive window in front of where Kakashi was sitting. He started to speak again.

"Root. They're everywhere. Every exit, every corner, every block, every district. I didn't even know they still existed after Danzo died. I have a feeling they've tipped off the higher-ups. They've gone code blue." He watched Kakashi's eyes widen.

"I hate those bastards. Are the gates closed?" He stuck his book in his back pouch.

"Yeah. We can't get out. I don't know how we're going to pull this off." He quickly got up from the couch and ran his hands through his hair in thought. At that moment Tenzou sprang up from the floor.

"They're coming." Kakashi's quick thinking took him to Naruto's kitchen. He started to search through his cupboards.

"Naruto," He raised his head in reply. "Where do you keep your wine?"

* * *

><p>There were five hasted knocks on the door.<p>

"If their guilty Tsunade, we must take the appropriate action."

"I know that," She growled. The door opened. She was greeted with a puffy-eyed Naruto.

"Baa-chan, Koharu-san, Homura-san. Come in." His voice was solemn. He held the door open and moved to the side to allow them in. Tsunade peered around him and cautiously walked in. All she could here in the house was the 'click' of her heels on his wooden floor. When her eyes turned to his main living area, what she saw made her eyes widen.

"Kakashi?" Her voice was different than her usual loud and ordering one. Who would want to raise their voice when all of them are clearly mourning? She saw Kakashi with his head tipped back on the couch, swigging from the wine bottle every few seconds. There were bags underneath his eye and she could see some of the purple veins still marking his face. When she called his name, he slowly turned to face her. Without an answer he turned back to his bottle.

She saw Sasuke with his head in his hands. Even the littlest emotion from him is rare, so to see him like that pained her heart. She watched Naruto walk to his table to pour himself a glass of wine. He sat down in an armchair and was about to bring the glass to his lips when he started to speak.

"Is there anything you need, baa-chan?" He took a sip. She turned sharply and looked back at the elders. Homura started to speak.

"We wanted to inform you that the village is being put on lockdown for a month." Naruto flinched. He brought the cup to his lips again. Tsunade snarled.

"For what?"

"To make sure any plans for acts of treason are diminished." He sent a pointed look at Kakashi. He took another swig.

"This is outrageous! You can't—"

"That's final, Tsunade-hime." And they walked out of the door. She took control of her rage and sighed.

She looked to Kakashi and tried to offer him a consoling look. Then she walked out of the door and _softly_ slammed it behind her.

* * *

><p>Kakashi staggered as he stood up with the wine sloshing around in the bottle he was holding.<p>

"Well, I think that's enough for me." He took one last swig then set it down on the table. He started to walk towards the door when someone started to speak.

"Wait." When he told them that they should mourn, he meant fake it. He didn't mean for everyone to actually feel bad. Especially him. He's the only one who got drunk. The only people left were he, Sasuke, and Naruto. Everyone else felt that mourning would be too personal. That was what they weren't with Sakura. He stopped near the doorway but didn't face him.

"You said Sakura is probably the most powerful Shinobi you know. I want to know what happened in Anbu that changed your opinion of her." Naruto's voice was pleading. He turned and walked back towards the couch to take a seat. Before he spoke, he took another swig of wine and set it down with a hard thud. He leant back on the couch and propped his hands behind his head.

"She was the second person to kill me." Sasuke looked up and his eyes widened. Naruto looked dumbfounded.

"Why—" Naruto started. Kakashi waved his hand to dismiss him. He didn't see the matter as serious. He was still living wasn't he?

"She was, uh, nagging me, if that's what you want to call it, all morning. When we had to go train, I had enough. So she killed me. She brought me back of course. But it wasn't the best day of my life so far." He thought back to that fateful morning at the Anbu base camps.

**-Flashback-**

"_I'm telling you, it's not healthy!"_

"_Sakura, it's my damn body. I do with it whatever the hell I want."_

"_Or don't do, because you certainly __**don't**__ eat breakfast."He rubbed his face tiredly. He contemplated shutting his book, but if she wasn't getting the memo with the book, then what's the point?_

"_To hell with it." He didn't mean to say that aloud. But that's what he's been feeling. She's been going on about nothing all morning. He's tired of it._

"_Forget it. Let's just go train." She got up and walked from the table. He pressed his fingers to his temples. The coming headache was too great. He put his book back in his pouch and walked after her. When he came to the open field and saw she was already done with her stretches, he took a deep sigh._

"_We're going to be doing taijutsu training."_

"_Why not ninjutsu? Isn't that what I need improvement in?"_

"_Yes, but you need improvement in taijutsu also. So we don't have to start from scratch, we're just going to do the basics." Her eyes narrowed. "Punch me." He said. _

_She ran for him and swung her fist, but he just dodged it. That and the three other punches she threw. He saw she was getting frustrated. _

"_I said punch me, Sakura. You're holding back." Yes, she was holding back. He wasn't the enemy, he was a comrade. _

"_But what if I hurt you?" She stopped swinging at him. _

"_Anbu is different. In Anbu, you fight with the intention to kill. If they die, well, they shouldn't have made it past the preliminaries." She summoned chakra to her hands and tried to punch him again. He caught her fist. _

"_Sakura, find my blind spot." She started swinging again, but with no real intention of hitting him. _

"_You don't have one!" __She was throwing her fists to throw them, without a counterattack ready if he used that against her. __Another headache was pounding in his left temple. She was still afraid of hurting him._

"_I said if you're in Anbu, you fight to kill. Punch me, Sakura," His voice had an edge to it. Maybe it was their bad morning that made him testy, but if she couldn't land a hit on him, what was she doing here? Back in the preliminaries, she was on defense. But now that she's on offense, she isn't producing any results. _

"_I can't!" She was just swinging blindly now. He felt his patience grow thinner. He decided to put her on defense. When she threw her fist at him this time, he grabbed her and swung her over his back._

"_I said punch me damn it!" Her eyes narrowed. _

"_And I said I can't!" And the little patience he had left withered away._

"_Stop acting like a fucking, wet behind the ears genin! Get your ass up, and punch me like you mean it!" He didn't mean to say it. He didn't mean to say anything. His common sense wasn't really with him at the moment…_

"_What the hell did you just say?"She quickly got up and her eyes were glowering. But he didn't seem to notice._

"_Stop acting like a no good Kunoichi and fight me! Come on!"_

**-End Flashback-**

"Well?" Naruto asked.

"Well what?" He replied.

"How did she kill you?" Kakashi sat and thought for a second before standing. He took off his vest and pulled his shirt up. Sasuke's eyes widened. Naruto was dumbstruck...again.

There were the faintest imprints of various small craters that littered his chest. But they could see it.

"She broke four ribs, collapsed my lung, fractured my eye socket, broke my jaw, my leg, and actually ruptured my heart." He said with chuckle. Naruto look as if he were about to talk, what with his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. But no one could really tell.

"Why?" He practically whispered.

"I called her out on her skills." He took another swig.

"Well no wonder you got your ass killed." Kakashi glared. He set the bottle down again.

"Anyways. Since this party is postponed, and I'm going to have one _hell_ of a hangover tomorrow morning, I'll see you later." He got up and walked to the door to slip on his sandals. When he was done, he paused.

"Don't worry, Naruto. We'll get her." And with that, he walked out of the door.

* * *

><p>"Uh!" She was pulled up by her hair again. She was sure she felt some of it fall out. There was already a pile of it somewhere nearby.<p>

"Time for your extraction, pinkie." She hated that name. They put chakra resisting chains on her wrists then unlinked the ones connected to the wall. She was being pulled towards the interrogation room. She didn't have the strength to fight. She couldn't. Not anymore. It's been at least three weeks since she's been captured, and two days since she killed the last interrogator. She remembers going through at least four. Why they took so long to chain her hands was beyond her.

She was soon being sat down in a wooden chair. With her wrists chained behind her back, she couldn't do much. She laid her head down on the metal table.

She glanced up at the interrogator. He had his fingers interlaced on the table with a smug look plastered on his face. She rolled her eyes. Another one who thought they could control her. _I guess I'll have to kill this one, too._ She thought.

"I really hope you're not as dumb as Akihiko. Or cocky like Takeshi. I can't really remember the other two. I killed them before I heard their names." She turned her head and gave him a pointed look. He didn't flinch.

"Oh I'm not your interrogator. I'm just the warden. Your interrogator is—"

"Right here, so get out Hayate." The man named Hayate got up and bowed to the interrogator. She saw him pull out a kunai and she shrunk back as far as she could. He was going to kill her and then extract her secrets. He wasn't like the others.

She heard four sharp thuds and flinched. She waited a while before looking up and saw all of the cameras had a kunai sliced through them.

"I said get out, Hayate!" She saw him scurry through the heavy metal door. Her interrogator made a few hand seals and then whispered 'Sound Barrier'. She panicked.

'_Oh Kami. He's going to kill me. It's going to be off the record.'_ She knew her death was coming, but she really didn't feel it. And now, she felt her heart rate speed up as her breaths came quicker and deeper. She started to wrestle with her chains, but it was useless. She couldn't get out of them.

"What the—"

"I'll…kill…you…" He watched as she started convulsing violently while he came around the table. He tried to grab her arm but she shied away from him and fell out of the chair.

"Sakura, calm down." She felt tears prickle at her eyelids. The voice sounded too much like Kakashi's. But here, she was going to die. And his voice, she would never hear again.

"Hey, stop." He tried to pick her up but when her head collided with his he took a sharp intake of breath.

"Listen, I'm not going to kill you!" He watched slowly as her convulsions slowed. At this rate he thought she was going to pass out. He could only stay in here for so long without them noticing something.

"Wh-what?" He bent down to pick her up to set her back in the chair. Her breathing started to slow and so did her heart rate. When she felt she was okay she glared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He smiled. Her face softened for a second while she stared at his lips. Then it hardened again.

"Do you hyperventilate often? Because it seems you recover pretty fast."

"Who the hell are you?" She spat.

"My name is Watanabe Ren. I'm a spy from Sand." That explains his almost olive skin color. But why does Sand have all these spies in Grass?

"Why does Sunagakure have all these spies in Grass?"

"We're, uh, planning something big. Don't worry about it." He gave her a boyish smile. And she melted. "The only reason why I knew it was you was, uh, your pink hair." She looked up to the bangs that fell over her eyes and sighed. It used to be a cherry blossom pink. And now it was more of tea rose. And she was probably balding. Well, she wasn't in the best condition either. She's gotten two bottles of water once every five days. She hasn't been cared for and felt grimy. Her bruises still pretty much littered her body. And her green toenail polish all but peeled off. She really couldn't see her fingers so she had a feeling they would be worse. She knows she stinks. And what he just said was pretty much the truth. She sighed as he pulled out a book.

"This is you, right?" It was grass's bingo book. They must've had cameras in her and Kakashi's holding room, because she was pretty sure that was the look on her face when the first ninja came in.

"Yeah." He got up and opened the door.

"Come on. Let's get you washed up."

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

"I have to clean you up."

"If that's some cheap excuse to see my goodies then the jig's up." He smiled and walked behind her. She thought about kicking him in the jewels, but when she felt him unlock the chains, her foot relaxed.

"You caught me. But I'm going to have to stay in here." She bit her lip in thought.

"Fair enough. But face the wall." When he turned around, she started to undress herself. When she tried to pull off her Anbu shirt, she found it was stuck to her skin. It was so clammy, that if she forcefully pulled it off, the top layer of her skin would come off with it.

"Damn it."

"What happened?" He started to turn back around.

"Stop! Stay where you are." She started to pull off her pants and kicked them aside. "I need you to lend me some chakra." She heard him snort.

"So you can kill me and get away?" She laughed.

"No. I need to heal myself, and I don't have any." He was quiet so she walked up behind him.

"And I'm supposed to do that…how?" She placed her hands on his back. When she examined her fingernails, she found that they were surprisingly perfect. Just…grubby.

"Okay. To dispel a genjutsu, you channel your chakra in one spot and release it in one big burst. That's what I need you to do for me. As much as I disagree with this, mainly because I don't know you, you're going to have to put your hands on my chest." She saw him tense up.

"Hey, I don't want to do this either. As much as I like to have company with women, I still respect them. And I'm a little averse to being touchy feely with someone I don't know."

"Oh please. Tell me you don't pick up women every night and I'll get off your back." He paused.

"And how do you figure this?"

"You're a little like a person I know. Listen, I can't get this shirt off because it's stuck to my skin. If I forcefully peel it off, then my skin's going to go with it. I need to heal myself afterwards so my torso doesn't turn into one big, mass of flesh. If you're really here to help me, then lend me some of your chakra." He sighed as he turned around. She watched as he rolled his tongue around in his mouth before placing his hands on her chest. He closed his eyes and she felt chakra flow into her body. When she felt it was enough, she nodded and went back towards the shower.

"You can turn back around, Ren." He faced the wall again. _If I'm going to do this, I'm going to have to do it fast._ It was like a bandage. She grasped the undersides of her shirt and counted to three before pulling it sharply up towards her breasts. She winced. When she saw it, she threw up in her mouth a little. She quickly put her hands to her stomach and started to heal. It was going to take up all of her chakra to get her skin back so she couldn't heal her other injuries.

She watched as her flesh started to slowly regenerate itself. She closed her eyes and hummed as the familiar sensation of healing filled her body with warmth. It's been so long since she's gotten to use chakra that she almost forgot how good it felt to heal. When she opened her eyes, the pink flesh was gone, and she could probably say the same for her back. Her shirt on the other hand, it was pretty disgusting. She was probably just going to have to rinse it since he couldn't get her a new one. That would be seen as favor, he would be killed and she would be too. She was about to turn on the water to the shower to start to rinse her shirt when she heard him speak.

"You know, Sakura. You have a really nice pair on you." Her eyes widened and her lip started to quiver as she pressed her forehead against the transparent door of the shower. She thought back to the similar conversation she had with someone he reminded her a bit too much of...

**-Flashback-**

_"I wanted to say something to you about what happened this morning." _

_"It's ok—"_

_"You have really nice tits, Sakura." He smirked._

_"You Baka!" She smacked his arm playfully._

_"You thought I was going to apologize? My actions were clearly justified by the way you were acting yesterday, and the day before, and the—Why don't we just say you've been bothering me since the mission started?" He folded his arms across his chest._

_"Well then, your nipples are pretty nice too,"_

**-End Flashback-**

"Well then, your nipples are pretty nice too." She whispered as her shirt lay forgotten and she stepped inside the shower.

* * *

><p>The first three months felt almost…wrong. She was waiting on a death that didn't yet come. She had a person there who now made it bearable. A person who couldn't help get her out, they would have him executed, but stayed with her. He gave her food, and he sneaked her to the shower, and he gave her comfort. The kind of comfort that you didn't find in regular friends.<p>

But she knew she was only fooling herself.

His dark hair and olive skin that told her he was from Wind country. His dark grey eyes and the sharp nose, the boyish smile; it was too much.

"Hey…Sakura." He gave her a soft kiss on the lips. When he went in for another, she turned her head. She would move, but she was chained up on the wall again. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Sakura?" He turned her face back towards his. She kept her eyes closed.

"Ren, why am I fooling myself?" She felt him crouch in front of her. His hands went to her waist and started to rub small circles there.

**-Flashback-**

"_If I am going to die here today..." He didn't object when her hands reached for his mask and slowly pulled it down. Instead, he cupped her face in one hand, and let the other rest on her waist. She reached for his shoulders and pulled herself up. Their faces were so close he could feel her breath fan across his lips. She felt the butterflies in her stomach threatening to overtake her. He started to move his thumb in small circles underneath her sleeveless shirt. Each movement caused her heart rate to speed up._

"_Sakura," _

"_Your lips are so," She took a sharp intake of breath. "Enticing."_

**-End Flashback-**

"What are you talking about?"

"Why are we doing this?"

"What?" He pulled back.

"First it was Nao, and now you, and I can't do this. You know I'm going to die."

"Wait, what? You and…_Nao?_" A look of disbelief was on his face.

"What's wrong with Nao?"

"I haven't seen him in years, I—"

"That's not the point! I'm going to die! And you're kissing me like I'm not, but the point is, I'm a prisoner here. They're going to extract my information until my mind is scrambled eggs. Look at my face Ren. I'm bruised, and I can barely heal myself from time to time. My hair is falling out, I'm beaten 6-7 times a day, and you're basically risking your life by feeding them false information. Soon, they're going to find out that you're in here, _screwing with me, _and when that day comes, you're going to die, and I'm going to die." She felt her face sting each time a fresh tear came down.

He kisses her because of what she's supposed to look like. He doesn't know her outside of this room. He's using her. But it's alright. Because she's doing it for the same reasons. His deep voice that just bleeds testosterone, his dark grey eyes, the boyish smile. They remind her too much of him. So she pretends. She pretends she actually has something more with Kakashi, that they have something more than friendship. She pretends that Ren _is_ him and she hates herself for it. She knows it's wrong. She and Kakashi will never be a thing. They couldn't work and he doesn't want her. And that's why her heart breaks every time he kisses her. Every time he asks to make love to her in a corner and she declines with a smile. Every time he calls her name or touches her. Every time he smiles or laughs; it's one and the same.

"What do you want, Sakura." She took in a deep breath and opened her eyes to stare into his dark ones.

"I want to be alone right now. Please." He looked reluctant to leave, but he did. She closed her eyes as she heard his boots softly walk out of the room. When she heard the heavy metal door shut, she knew it was over.

So this time when they came to beat her, to break her down, she cried. She cried horrible, horrible tears. To them, those tears meant that they were finally getting to her. To her, they meant she was getting that much closer to the border of insanity.

* * *

><p>"Code blue was lifted today, Kakashi." He shot up in his bed and stared at Naruto.<p>

"Then we leave tomorrow." His face hardened.

_It's time._


	7. Reclaim

**Reclaim**

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you can walk, Kakashi-sensei?" It was Naruto speaking. He was answered with a glare. So what he couldn't stand up for long periods of time and <em>just<em> got the feeling in his legs back…again. That wasn't important. If they stayed here too long, they would get caught.

He almost forgot how it looked at nighttime. Mostly because he hasn't stepped out of his house for three months. He hasn't been healed fully, and all that alcohol to his system really wasn't helping. A hospital visit was long overdue. But who was _really _going to tell him that?

"Our only objective is Sakura. Kill anyone that gets in your way. Blow up a God Damned building if you have to. If she isn't dead, she's in the interrogation room of Anbu HQ. It's on the last level." Everyone nodded their heads.

"Then let's move," They all headed for the trees outside of their Village's gates. If this went wrong, they would be dealt with accordingly. It could have anything ranging from a strip of rank to death, depending on how Tsunade and the elders feel about their disobeying direct orders. The elders hated him, so it would probably not end up in his favor.

They've been badgering him since Sasuke ran away. So what he wasn't the best teacher? They didn't assign him the _best_ students after all. And he _did _come back. But what did they expect when he had one ninja on the verge of running away with the slightest provocation of emotional distress, the other ninja ready to bust out in full fox mode if anything angers him, and Sakura, a bubbly, boy-crazy, book smart Kunoichi who wasn't really good in battle, but kicked ass on exams. So while his attention was focused on the more pressing pre-teens on his team, Sakura did pretty well by herself. She had the best chakra control and learned most of the basics by herself. Hell, he even got her to teach the boys every once in a while.

He honestly thought he was doing a bang-up job at this whole 'Sensei' thing.

But apparently, he was wrong. Sasuke still ran away, Naruto still turns into a fox if anything angers him, and Sakura went to someone else for teaching. Yet, he continued to swear that it wasn't his fault. Because it just wasn't.

He put his palm up to signal them to stop moving.

When they got to the ground, Kakashi pulled out his kunai and cut his thumb. When it drew blood, he quickly got his summoning scroll from his vest pocket and wiped his thumb across it. When the scroll was rolled back up, he heard a 'pop' and smoke appeared. When it was gone, he saw them in their usual assembly line.

"I need you guys to mark the area—"

"I don't understand why they always show up like that. I mean, don't you guys like change?" It was Naruto. Everyone sighed. Kakashi slapped a palm to his forehead. Did the boy have to be so dense?

"Like, look. Pakkun is small right? So maybe he should be in the front instead of on top of bull. He _is_ the dog you use the most _and_ he talks the most. And Bull should be in the back. And everyone should be facing you, 'cause Urushi and Guruko are always not facing you. So," Naruto started to walk towards the ninken. Kakashi sent him a pointed look.

"Naruto." He stopped walking and looked to Kakashi.

"Why don't you just _not _touch my dogs, and let me get on with their orders?" Naruto rolled his eyes and pouted.

"Sheesh. I was just trying to add a little change to their style but whatever…" Everything else wasn't comprehendible as Naruto started to mutter under his breath and rub his shoulder. Kakashi turned back to Pakkun and sighed. Pakkun gave him a sympathetic look.

"I need you guys to mark the area; this is going to be our base camp. I don't know how long it's going to take us to get Sakura, but I know that right now, their security is tight as hell. Today is the day that they finally extract her." He saw Naruto's eyes widen.

"How do you know? And why did they wait so long?"

"We have another spy from sand, Ren. We're not going to be rescuing him, though. They've been trying to beat it out of her; they don't really have the expertise in interrogation. You see, Grass hasn't really had any Great wars. They're excellent at diplomacy. So today, they've gotten a mercenary to extract her. We have to move fast. Pakkun," He watched as Pakkun spoke to the dogs.

"Its needs to be 2 kilometers west; towards Kusagakure. I need about 1 kilometer north and south, and 3 kilometers east; towards Konohagakure." He heard Bull bark, and they were gone.

"Kurenai has us backed up. I don't know how she's doing it, but she and Hinata are making sure Tsunade-sama doesn't find out we're gone. Tenzou,"

"Right." Everyone watched as he put his fingers together in a serpent hand sign as a wooden house came up from the ground.

Kakashi experimentally walked in. After taking short self-tour his head popped out of the doorway.

"It's empty, Tenzou." He put his hands together again and Kakashi watched as a separate cooking area and rooms were made before his eyes. Nodding in approval, Kakashi walked out and patted Tenzou on the back.

"Great job. Get settled everyone. There'll be a briefing in ten." He glanced at his watch and saw Tenzou doubled over panting from the corner of his eye.

"Come on, it can't be that hard. Stop being such a drama queen." He walked over to him with his eyes closed in a crease. When he lifted him up, he saw that his face was covered in sweat and he had bags under his eyes.

"You try…building…a house…from scratch…" He let out a tired breath. Kakashi got his pack and shoved it in his hands, then lead him to a room.

"Ten minutes, Tenzou." He found the last available room and set his pack down. His took off his sandals and sighed. Thinking about Sakura made his head hurt. _Great job, Hatake. Way to get **another **female teammate captured. _He thought while running his hands through his hair.

He tried to think about how the battle could've gone differently. But with every scenario he thought of, it always ended with Sakura being captured. Maybe it was because his subconscious was biased, what with Sakura already a prisoner in enemy hands.

He thought about how, if they didn't get Sakura back, if they failed, they would all be stripped of their ranks. But Kakashi, Kakashi had a sneaking suspicion that the elders would have him executed.

He sighed. He wanted his plan to go perfectly. He wanted it done tonight, but he didn't know how long Kurenai and Hinata could hold out. Even if they did, Tsunade was bound to catch them.

He went into his pack and pulled out five separate microphone radios. He held them in his hand and left his room to find Ino. When he did, she didn't hear him come in. He could blame it on her skills getting rusty since she was cooped up in a hospital all day, but common sense told him it was because she was preoccupied.

When he found her room he stood at the doorway and watched her. He felt almost guilty for doing so, but he had to. It was mostly his fault she was sitting on the wooden makeshift bed with her head in her hands; crying her eyes out. He heard her silent sobs and walked over towards her and sat down. The sobs stopped, but she didn't pick her head up to acknowledge him.

"You know," She started. "I should hate you. I should hate you with every fiber of my being. I should be trying to slice into you with my kunai or trying to cut your head off. I _want_ to hate you. I _want _to say 'Yeah, it's him. It's his fault. Blame him'. But—"

"I blame me too." Her head shot up from her hands and he could see her eyes were puffy. He could almost make out the salt trails that stained her flushed cheeks. Her nose was red and her lips were wet. Most likely from the tears that made their way to her mouth.

"I figured I needed someone to blame too. So I chose myself. I _am _the best candidate." She looked at him while he stared off at something on the wall. "It should've been me in enemy hands. I would've been better off. They can't get through my mind, and if they did, even the seasoned Shinobi would cower at all the things they'd discover. It would scar them for life. "He chuckled at that. "I thought of everything that could've happened differently, but surprisingly, it all ended the same."

"When I heard from Naruto that she threw the scroll at you, I couldn't believe it. I wondered why she would save _your_ sorry ass instead of herself." Ouch. "But then I thought, 'That's Sakura'. She has a heart as big as the sky. He told me that you were poisoned and paralyzed. So I can almost _hear_ her in my head. Hear her saying, 'He's worse off than I am.'" She laughed bitterly.

"All that crap they taught you guys in Anbu messed up her line of thinking. I can forgive you now, though." Her eyes softened as his one eye widened. "You disobeyed Tsunade-Shishou. You could be killed. Then you put a group together consisting of some of the most skilled Shinobi, who are also close to her. I have to admit, I didn't think you had the balls to go against orders, Kakashi-sensei." She smiled while he chuckled. He picked up the forgotten radio and handed it to her.

"You're going to need this. Out of all of us, you're job is the most difficult." He handed her a complex radio. The earpiece was small and nude, so when she stuck it into her ear, no one would notice, and only she could hear. There was a small wireless radio that she stuck into her bra. He checked his watch; the one Sakura gave him, and then looked back to her.

"Still a few minutes until the briefing. Can you keep it together?" He patted her knee.

"No, but I'll try. For Sakura…not because you asked me to." He got up and gave her a two finger wave before going to search for Naruto. He found him meditating with several different clones.

"Did you lengthen the time you could be in Sage Mode?" When he saw that his most current clone, the fourth one, had entered Sage mode, his eyes opened.

"Yeah, four hours at a time." Kakashi nodded, looking impressed.

"That's good; you've got a very special job." Kakashi went over to sit on Naruto's bed.

"What kind of job?" Naruto looked at him excitedly.

"It's a sort of collaboration with someone…" Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out another microphone. This one was similar to the one Ino had, but a bit bigger. Everyone knew Naruto had hearing problems when it came down to just listening and not just running into battle.

"With who?" He handed him the microphone and started out the door.

"Briefing in five minutes, Naruto." His facial expression was a mix between a frown and a grin, he supposed. He couldn't really tell either-or; the corners of his mouth were turned up, but his lips were stuck in a pout.

Kakashi started for Neji's room. When he stepped in, he saw that Neji too was meditating with his Byakugan activated and his eyes closed.

He never liked looking at a Byakugan. It always looked to painful to have your veins protruding your face in a less-than attractive manner. It was hard enough to have a Sharingan activated all the time, but a Byakugan? He almost felt sorry for Ao. The mist-nin favored an eye patch to a forehead protector.

"What are you doing?" He leaned against the doorjamb.

"Increasing my range." He said while still not addressing him. He placed the microphone on the table beside him and walked out. When he was gone, Neji cracked one eye open.

"Briefing, four minutes." Kakashi said as he peeked his head back through the door and gave him an eye crinkle as Neji glared.

He walked towards Shikamaru's room to give him his microphone and radio. He was pretty sure he was already thinking of a battle plan to counter Kakashi's. That would be good. He would take anything they could get. When he was done with that, he had three minutes left. And he had one more person to get to. Sasuke.

When he walked into his room, he saw him sitting on the bed facing the door with his Sharingan activated. He didn't know what he was looking at, but he looked pretty angry when Kakashi got in his way.

"What do you want?" He said in a clipped tone.

"I'm giving you your earpiece." He set it on the table and walked back out the door, but quickly stepped back in. "Instead of finding new ways to induce pain on me, you should be getting ready for the briefing in two minutes." He watched as he deactivated his Sharingan, but continued to glare. Kakashi felt he was overusing his stay, and left.

He walked the path back to his room and dug into his pack once more. He pulled out his microphone. It was the one that was identical to Sakura's. The ones they got while they were at the Anbu base camps. They were transparent, and it fit in your ear. The microphone was built into the earpiece, so he didn't need another one. Once he stuck that in, he walked to the main room where he saw everyone was waiting.

"Alright." He sat in one of the chairs and leaned forward. He put both his hands on his knees and looked to Tenzou. He nodded. "Tenzou will give you each a seed. You eat it, and he'll know where you are at all times. If you're in trouble, release a small burst of chakra. He'll come to you." Tenzou had in his hands 6 seeds and everyone received one. He gave one to Kakashi last who stared at it while everyone looked at him expectantly. He placed it on the table.

"Shikamaru, since I already know you have a battle plan," He smirked. "I'll let you tell everyone yours, if you let me get through mines." He nodded.

"First, Ino. You and Naruto are going to be collaborating." Naruto's mouth flew open.

"You meant her? I don't want to work with _her!"_ Ino scowled.

"You think I want to work with you, fox boy?" Naruto looked as if he was going to say something else, but Kakashi cut him off.

"When we're a few miles off from grass, Naruto, you're going to use you're Sage Mode and get to the interrogation room. I'm going to need you to keep watch until a certain point in time. If you miss it, we may not get another chance. Naruto will tell you when there are two people in the room. He's going to wait until one of those two people leave the room. When that happens, Ino takes over Naruto's body, then switch's to the guard's body outside of the gates. I need you to keep switching until you get inside the room, and take over Sakura's guard. I need you to unchain her, then leave the body."

"But won't the guard see her chains are gone and then restrain her?" Kakashi smirked at that.

"When you unchain her, I need you to say one thing to her." Kakashi stared at Ino intently.

"What do I say?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes." He gave her an eye crinkle and she glared.

"Why doesn't Neji collaborate with Ino?"

"Neji has this thing about personal space... Anyways, once she leaves your body Naruto, I need you to find someone else for me, and I need it fast. Her name is Takahashi Katsumi. Once you find her, Ino, I'm going to need you to again, posses someone near her, and knock her out. They won't ask questions. Take her to the first utility closet on the third floor of the building and Tenzou will be there to take her. She'll be brought back here. Then, I'm going to need you to put up a henge of her. She's a very important person in the war; You're going to have to sit in on all the meetings. Find Intel, and don't talk much. Listen intently, because if they ask you to say something, you're going to have to speak to the best of your knowledge." She nodded and he spoke to Neji and Sasuke.

"You two will be coming in with me. Neji, I need you to activate your Byakugan, and Sasuke, activate your Sharingan. I need to teach you how to move through the floors like Anbu." Neji had a perplexed look on his face.

"That's illegal, Kakashi."

"Well we're not doing a whole lot of _legal_ here, are we?" They both activated their bloodline limit. Kakashi slowly moved through the floor and ended up behind Sasuke and Neji. Neji learned first; he saw all the chakra points that needed to be activated for the jutsu to work. Sasuke took two minutes longer. It took about fifteen minutes in all. When they were done, Kakashi was exhausted. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Tenzou, I need you to run around and do a little recon on the enemy. But you will mostly be helping out. I need Katsumi tied up and restrained to the best of your ability. Before she wakes up, you need to check her person. Make sure there's nothing on her that can alert the enemy who we are or where we are." He nodded. He turned and smiled at Shikamaru.

"I was just going to have you here to help restrain Katsumi. Or think up new battle plans if something goes wrong. I suppose you'll want to tell us yours?" Shikamaru smirked and put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair.

"I don't think I could've done it better, Kakashi. But I'd rather hang out here anyways. War is troublesome. If it's anything like the last one…well, we'll be in for it." Kakashi gave him an eye crinkle, but underneath the mask he wasn't smiling. Whoever healed him hadn't extracted the poison from his body all the way. He's been doing the best he could for three months, but he really couldn't ignore that feeling that crept up on him from time to time.

If it was Sakura, he wouldn't be having this problem. He'd just have to settle for Ino. He slowly got up and started to walk towards his room.

"Be ready on the hour. Ino?" He called her as he continued to walk. She came into his room after him. He slowly lowered himself onto the bed and put his hands on his knees. His head was lowered.

"Is something wrong?" He sighed deeply.

"Yeah. I'm not completely healed yet. The poison is still trying to take me over." He smirked despite his mood.

"Could you…" She was already there directing him to lie down. She unzipped his vest and was about to pull up his shirt, but looked to him first. When he nodded, she placed her palms on his chest and searched for where the poison was. When she found it, she closed her eyes in concentration as she started to flush it out. Sweat started to drip down her forehead, but she didn't remove her hands until she felt that the poison was gone _and_ his immune system was up to par. When she was done, she lightly patted him on the knee and started for the door.

"Ino," She turned back around. "Tell her, 'You're a pussycat in need of tender care.'" Ino smiled and walked out of the door.

He felt his chakra starting to flow through himself at regular levels. That's when he got up to prepare. He dug into his pack for his Anbu uniform and started to put it on. He didn't have an Anbu mask anymore, so he settled on slightly henging himself.

He changed his hair and eyebrow color to black and started to dig through his pack. When he found what he was looking for, he turned it around in his fingers and smiled.

It was a pink and green compact mirror with cherry blossom trees on the back. The name 'Sakura' was engraved into the side.

He didn't know why he stole it. It was just sitting on her stuff when she was in training. He was going to give it back, but she didn't know it was missing.

He opened the mirror and examined his hair. He didn't look much different. In fact, he looked almost normal...except for the scar on his left eye.

He snapped the mirror shut and strapped his katana to his back. He snapped his pouches onto his back and readjusted his earpiece before walking out of the room.

When he went to the main area, he saw everyone was already there and ready to go. He nodded to Tenzou and watched as he disappeared into the floors. He went back to the table and picked up the seed. He quickly popped it in his mouth and started for the door.

When they were about to walk out of the base camp, his ninken appeared before him.

"We've got it strapped down." Pakkun said in his usual gruff and lazy voice. Kakashi nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Alright. Bull, I need you to take east. Stop anyone coming towards us. Akino, you do the same, but you're on west." The ninken nodded. "Shiba you take north, Guruko you take south. Pakkun, Urushi, Bisuke, and Uhei, you stay here with Shikamaru, keep him company." He looked back to Shikamaru, still in the chair.

"You're to keep an eye on them and use them _as necessary._" He put an edge to his voice on those last words. He thought back to the last time someone misused his dogs.

**-Flashback-**

_"Uhei? Shiba…what the hell?" Kakashi looked on with widened eyes from atop a pile of wood. He saw some of his dogs trot by with wood in their mouths delivering them to civilians and ninja alike. He saw Pakkun panting and begging for water. He snapped his book shut and jumped down. _

_It was just after Pein's invasion on Konoha so everyone was helping out. Kakashi, he would help out in due time. He had to catch up on his reading._

_"Pakkun!" The little pug came trotting over to him. "What the hell are you doing here?" The pug tried in vain to lick his nose and gather his bearings before speaking. _

_"We were…summoned here…boss." _

_"By who…?" His eyes widened in realization. "Damn it!" He ran past his ninken and found who he was looking for sitting on top of a small wooden hut…Painting her toenails green._

_"Sakura, what the hell are you doing?" She looked down at him for a second, then resumed painting her feet. _

_"My nails," She finished her pinkie toe and switched feet. He saw her smirk. _

_"I meant with my dogs!" She looked down to him again, as if annoyed by his presence. _

_"Look, if you didn't want me to have them, you shouldn't have given them to me!"_

_"I **didn't** want you to have them! I specifically said you could **borrow** them for your solo!" It wasn't even that big a deal. All she had to do was find the type of wood used for the Hokage Tower. She no idea how to accomplish that, so when she came to him, he had his dogs smell what was left of the demolished building and accompany her on the mission. _

_"You never asked for them back…" _

_"That doesn't mean you use them for your dirty work!"_

_"Hey! I'm **helping** them! Have you seen Bull lately? Packing on those extra pounds because his girlfriend left him **isn't** going to alleviate the stress!" Kakashi slapped a hand to his forehead and sighed. _

_"I want my dogs back, Sakura." She pouted as he walked away. _

_"Bastard," _

**-End Flashback-**

Shikamaru nodded. The rest of them left and went to the trees towards Kusagakure.

"Naruto,"

"I'm on it!" Naruto was looking all around them for potential enemies. When he found none, he shook his head.

"Good. That'll only be a distraction." They were about a mile away from the gates when they stopped.

"Alright, Ino, Naruto. Get to work." Sasuke, Neji, and Kakashi concealed themselves in the foliage and waited for Naruto to give Ino the signal. She was currently sitting against the tree with her hands positioned in her Mind Transfer jutsu. He saw Naruto raise his hand. _This is it._ He thought.

"Go!" He watched as Ino's body went slack.

_Hold on, Sakura. We're coming for you._

* * *

><p>"It's a shame about poor little Akihiko." She heard someone say as her eyes slowly opened. "He was a bright one. In a few years, he could've been an elite." It was Daichi speaking. "He's paralyzed now. He can't move anything. I don't think he ever will." She smirked as looked on ruefully.<p>

"If he...really thought...that he was...going to tame me...he deserved it." Her voice was small, but her words were true. She tried to lick her dried lips, but her tongue wasn't providing any moisture. It's been five days and they still haven't given her water yet. The bastards.

"I guess you're right. I couldn't really say the same for the others. They died after the first night. But here." He threw a bottle of water at her and realized too late that she couldn't catch it. It hit her face and she winced. She had more bruises on her body than she did when she was last awake.

"'Bout…damn time." She panted while glaring at him. It was nearing the end of the day, she could feel it. And they usually gave her water when she woke up on the fifth day.

"As much as I may want your head, you're worth a lot of money. And I can't have you dying before they extract you today. And when they're done with that…well. I win." Her eyes widened. _So it was finally happening._ She thought.

"But what I don't understand is, if you're so important, why haven't your leaf bastards come looking for you yet?" She bit her lip. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell.

"Touchy subject, huh?" He walked over and took the water bottle from her lap. He twisted the cap and poured some into her mouth. When she moved her head aside saying that was enough, he purposely splashed some on her face. He watched as she winced again.

"I don't know what they're going to do to you, but I hope you get everything you deserve." He paused and she saw pain fill his eyes. "You know, that night when you and your partner escaped and killed more than twenty good men, me and my family wept. My brother was among them you bitch." He knelt down to her level and grabbed her face forcefully. "He just got promoted to jonin that day. So when they're done with you, I'm going to make sure you regret letting your partner live." She snatched her face away and felt the pain overcome her. Daichi walked back to his seat by the wall and leant his head on it. She then heard him inhale sharply and got up.

She squeezed her eyes shut and knew what was coming. She clenched her jaw tightly to soften the coming punch. When she heard the footsteps stop in front of her, she sucked in a large breath. Then she heard her chains jingle. Her eyes snapped open in surprise as she looked up to Daichi unlocking her last chain.

She glared at him. It was time. And she's going to fight until they have to sedate her again. She let her arms drop, but didn't move yet.

She watched as Daichi put his hands on his hips and gave her a toothy grin. She saw tears brim his eyes and fall down his cheeks. She couldn't say she was any more surprised than confused. Her eyes hardened into a glare, but now it was more at a loss of what else to do.

"He told me to say…that y-you were a pussycat in n-need of tender c-care." She didn't understand what was going on as more tears fell down his face and his shoulders shook. She scrunched her face up in thought. _A pussycat in need of tender care? _

A moment later, she was choking back a tear as she jumped to wrap her arms around him in a hug. The tears fall freely down her bruised face. It stung, but that didn't matter. She allowed the sobs to come out loud and unrestrained as she felt Daichi do the same thing.

It's them. It has to be. She didn't think Kakashi exchanged those same words with a grass ninja, and a man none the less. She risked it anyways.

"…Ino?" She said between sobs. She felt him hug her tighter.

"Oh, Ino. You guys came. You really, r-really came." She felt him nod and a lump formed in her throat.

"I t-thought I w-was going t-to die." She felt him release her and she weakly dried her tears. "What do you want me to do? I don't think I can just walk out." She said while trying to get her emotions under control.

"Kill him as soon as I transfer. They're coming." It sounded weird hearing him say his own name, but she nodded anyways. She prepared herself and waited. When Daichi fell to the ground, that's when she made her move.

"Wha—" She stomped on his neck and heard his bones crack. His eyes were widened and they stayed like that. When she figured he was dead, or at least, not moving anytime soon, she dragged him to the farthest corner of the room and left him there.

She went back to her spot on the wall and felt her lip quiver of its own volition.

"Ha, ha." It was uncalled for in her current situation, but she didn't care. Laughing was all she could do to keep from crying.

"No, Daichi. I win."

* * *

><p>"What did you just say?"<p>

"I—"

"Go to hell." It wasn't hard to act like Katsumi. Especially since she was so much like herself. She got half a glimpse of her act before she had to knock her out. But luckily that was enough. The hard part would be listening in on those Intel meetings and trying to give feedback. She gave a menacing grin as she sashayed down the long hallway. She saw a Grass Ninja coming towards her and she grabbed him by the shirt.

"Where's the meeting room?" She growled.

"T-the second door on your right." She pushed him away. Katsumi was _a lot_ like her. Especially since the ninja didn't think she was acting out of character. She smirked as she followed the directions she was given and pushed both doors of the meeting room open. She was late, she knew, and that would give her a lot of attention.

"Katsumi, late, as always." She rolled her eyes and took a seat in the only available chair. She cross her legs and started to swing from side to side as she tried to look as though she wasn't paying attention, but in reality she was listening as hard as she could. She started to tap her nails on the clear glass table.

"While our captive is being extracted, we move out. I want our forces surrounding the village and ready to attack on my command. They just lifted their lockdown yesterday, so they'll be relieving most of their ninja that were patrolling the borders of the village for any runners." Ino clenched her teeth. So they're going to attack while Sakura is being extracted. When they get the Leaf's info, they'll move into the village. She really needed this meeting to be over; she had to tell Kakashi-sensei. But she was sure they too had pressing matters on their hands.

"I'm almost positive she was on the team that captured Nao. So most likely, she'll know where he's being kept. We take him back and kill the Godaime. That, my friends, will provoke a full out war." He picked up his glass and sipped it with a wide smile on his face.

Grass has never done _anything_ on their own to provoke a war, so why were they starting now? They were usually good at diplomacy, talking themselves out of things. That's why they never had any problems. Peace treaties was their thing. Not wars. Something was wrong here.

"During that war, we must capture a Hyuga and take the remaining Uchiha. Then, when we restrain the kyuubi and Konohagakure falls, we'll be taking their place as the greatest Hidden Village." She knew something was wrong here. Everyone started to clap their hands while she continued tapped her nails on the table. When everyone was done, she started to speak.

"And how would you go about pulling this off? You do know that Konohagakure has raised the most powerful Shinobi in our generation _and_ is one of the five great Ninja Villages. Remember the last war when the Akatsuki tried to restrain the kyuubi? They failed. And they had some of the most formidable ninja ever known on their side. The remaining Uchiha killed Shimura Danzo _and_ Uchiha Itachi along with Uchiha Madara. And the Hyuga Clan, their Byakugan basically gives them 360 view. You're just setting Grass up for failure." She narrowed her eyes and kept his stare. She really hoped she didn't sound too awkward there. When the ninja started to laugh, she almost let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Katsumi. Always doubting our ninja. I'll have you know that tonight; we'll catch them off guard. They won't know what hit them. Dismissed." She snarled and watched as everyone started to get up and pile out of the doors. She watched with blazing eyes as the ninja came towards her.

"I _really_ hope we can pull this off…for your sake." With that she pushed the chair back and got up. She walked out of the door and slammed it behind her. Then she let out a sigh of relief. She had to get this to Shikamaru. _He _had to get it to Konoha. Tsunade-Shishou's going to have a cow, but they would be safe.

* * *

><p>"Your comrades are coming." Shikamaru paid Uhei no mind as he sat tuning his radio, waiting for someone, anyone to tell him there would have to be a change on plans. <em>War is so troublesome.<em>

He sighed deeply and dug in his pockets for a cigarette and his lighter. He stuck it in his mouth and with a flick of his thumb, it was lighted.

He inhaled and let out a deep breath as the sensation of the cigarette soothed him. He put a hand behind his head, closed his eyes, and leant back in his chair.

"Shikamaru, what the hell are you doing here?" His chair fell back on the floor as he took the cigarette out of his mouth and exhaled. He opened his eyes and they widened at the sight.

"Kiba?" Shikamaru turned to glare at the dog. "I thought you were supposed to be making sure nobody came in here?"

"These are your comrades, am I mistaken?" He cursed as the dog boy came closer and Akamaru growled at Uhei.

He watched as some of his other comrades filed in, but not exactly there for the cause Shikamaru was supporting. _Damn it._

"Well, damn. Listen—" He heard four beeps in his ear and turned his radio up louder. It was Ino.

"_Shikamaru, I knew something funny was going on here. All they want is Neji and Sasuke. They want their leader to be recognized as a Kage and they want to be a part of the five great Shinobi villages. They want to take Nao back and kill Tsunade. They're also trying to restrain Naruto. Basically, they want full out war."_ He heard her take a deep breath and he sighed deeply.

"Okay. I'll get that to Kakashi."

"_They're attacking tonight while they extract Sakura."_ Her voice had an eeriness to it.

"Damn. Alright, lay low until your next meeting and await new orders."

"_Hai."_ He turned his microphone off. He put the cigarette back in his mouth and blew the smoke from his nose.

"Listen, Kiba. We're here for Sakura. And we've uncovered even more then we've bargained for. You can take me back to the village and have me arrested, or you can listen." Kiba's eyes narrowed but he didn't object.

"Grass's main objective is to become recognized as a Kage. To do that, they're trying to take some of our best kekkei genkai. They're trying to restrain Naruto, kill Tsunade-sama, and take our place as one of the greatest military power and influence on the Shinobi world." Kiba looked on.

"So, they're attacking tonight while our village is the weakest. They're also extracting Sakura tonight. So you see, if we get Sakura back, then we're hitting two birds with one stone. They won't have anything to hold us to, and they won't have our secrets." Kiba sighed.

"Alright, what do you want us to do?" Shikamaru looked up in thought.

"How many of you came?" Kiba gave him a goofy grin.

"Tsunade-sama wasn't playing it safe. You have Team Seven with you, so she ordered out all the elites." Well that helps Grass's battle plan. All the elites are out of the Village.

"Okay, uh, hold on." He started tuning his radio until he found Kakashi's frequency.

"Kakashi," He waited a second before he heard a 'click' and he started to speak.

"_Yeah?"_

"What stage are you guys in?" Shikamaru rolled the cigarette around in his mouth.

"_We're actually taking care of the guards right now," _He heard metal slice into chest.

"We've got a change of plans. Tsunade-sama sent out all the elites." He heard Kakashi curse.

"_Are they taking you in?" _

"No, they've agreed on our battle plan, but I've got some bad news."

"_That's good. Tell someone to take Katsumi back to the Village. Did Ino sit in on any of the meetings?"_

"There's only one, but that's the bad news."

"_They figured her out?"_

"No. She actually figured _them_ out_._ They want our bloodline limits. They want the Hokage dead, Naruto restrained, and they want to be recognized as a Kage when we fall."

"_Damn it. I knew something was wrong. They __**never**__ go into war."_ He heard a short yell on the other end of the radio.

"That's not all."

"_No?"_

"They're attacking tonight while they're extracting Sakura. Tsunade-sama sent all the elites out so the Village is practically defenseless." He heard silence on the other end.

_"...Do you know what time she'll be extracted?"_

"No."

"_Well get Tenzou on it. If you have any new plans, get on with it. We're about to move in."_

"Not yet. I'll get to you." He heard a 'click' of Kakashi's radio that told him he was gone. He turned his microphone off again and took his cigarette out of his mouth and temporarily placed it on the table. He let out a small burst of chakra then returned the cigarette to his mouth. He looked over at Katsumi's sleeping form and waited.

"What now?" Kiba said annoyed. Shikamaru nodded his head over at their prisoner.

"Get your fastest to take her back to the Village to be interrogated." Tenzou then appeared from the ground.

"You called?" He said while turning to check if Katsumi was still bound.

"Yeah uh, we've got some problems. To shorten up the story, Grass is attacking tonight during Sakura's extraction. You have to find out what time that is." Tenzou nodded then turned to look at Kiba.

"Are we caught?"

"Nah, they looked at it our way." Tenzou smirked.

"Good." Shikamaru nodded his head towards their captive, and Tenzou did a hand sign and the bounds disappeared. She stirred in her sleep as Shikamaru quickly got up and dug in his pocket. What he pulled out was a syringe Ino gave him filled with a purple liquid. He stabbed it into her arm and went back to his seat.

Tenzou disappeared into the floorboards. Shikamaru rubbed a tired hand across his face and took the cigarette out of his mouth. He reluctantly smashed the stub against the table and leaned forward as a ninja came to take Katsumi.

He tuned to Ino's frequency again and clicked four times.

"_Yes?" _She said annoyed.

"New plans."

"_Shoot."_

"I need you to find a way to the last level. You're going to be extracting Sakura."

"_What?" _She whispered a yell. Yet the whispering did nothing for the octave she just hit.

"You're not _actually_ going to be extracting her. Instead, I need you to strengthen the barriers in her head."

"_I don't—"_

"Don't lie." He heard her exhale.

"_So strengthening the barriers is going to do…what?"_

"You heard them, they're extracting tonight. So if the extraction is prolonged, then the attack is prolonged."

"_Shikamaru, this is a big risk. I've only seen my father do it a couple of times. I'm not sure—"_

"Don't lie. He _taught_ you. This is very important Ino. Don't fuck up." Before he turned his microphone off, he heard her huff in annoyance. The earpiece was snatched out of his ear. War was _really_ troublesome.

* * *

><p>"So what do we do next?" Naruto kicked the last guard off his kunai and wiped it on his vest.<p>

"We go get Sakura. But we have to get through the rest of them first." Kakashi nodded towards the Village gates.

"That should be easy, we just float to the level she's on." Kakashi sighed.

"It's not that easy. You see, Anbu HQ was reinforced with this…well, its chakra enforced. Then with the room Sakura's being held in, you can only get in using the door, and even then you need either a key or chakra to get in there. Or monstrous super strength."

"You mean like Sakura and granny."

"Yes, but that is also where you come in Naruto." He looked confused. He doesn't have super strength. He doesn't excel in taijutsu. And most importantly, he's not Sakura.

"How am I…?"

"You see, what I need you to do is transform into your nine tails mode. Use your rasen shuriken to blow up the door."

"Then we get in and get Sakura,"

"Not exactly." Naruto's brows were furrowed.

"Then how…"

"Listen, Dobe. If they're extracting Sakura tonight, they're going to have extra tight security. And if they're also attacking us tonight, then a lot of ninja are going to be coming and going through the Village. Getting her and getting out won't be that simple." Naruto sighed and leaned on the tree he was standing beside.

Tenzou's face then appeared in that same tree.

"Kakashi, Shika—"

"Ahhhhh!" Naruto had his hand over his heart and was breathing heavily. Everyone else just looked at him like he was stupid. Kakashi sighed.

"You were saying, Tenzou?" Said ninja rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Shikamaru is getting Ino to strengthen the barriers in Sakura's head. He's trying to prolong the extraction."

"She can do that?" Kakashi said with doubt in his voice.

"Her father _is_ Inoichi. Besides, he taught her." Kakashi scratched his head.

"Alright. Did you find out the time of the extraction?" He nodded.

"Yeah, Midnight. When all of our people are asleep, they'll sneak in and attack." He said before leaving through the same tree.

"All we have to do is get to the front of the Anbu building with the jutsu I taught you. Then, well, we're going to have to fight from there."

"So…we don't have a plan."

"Give me a second." Kakashi started to tune his radio. "Shikamaru." He heard him exhale a breath.

"_Yeah?"_

"We're moving in."

_"'Bout damn time. What's the plan?"_

"I'm leaving Neji on the ground floor, Naruto two floors down, then Sasuke on the last level."

_"That won't work. Sasuke can't get through that door. Put Neji on the ground floor. Sasuke should be two floors further down, then Naruto should be on the last level."_

"Sounds about right. But they're extracting Sakura at midnight. Make sure the elites are ready to move out when we get back."

_"Copy." _He heard Kakashi clear his throat.

"Is that all?"

There was a pause. _"Kakashi, are you okay?"_ Concern showed through his voice.

"Yeah." Shikamaru heard the doubt, but didn't push it.

_"Alright. Take care of yourselves." _Kakashi turned his microphone off. He rubbed his hands over his face then sheathed his Katana.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>"How the hell did she get out of her chains?" A ninja came in with Katsumi. She looked over at Daichi's dead body and growled. The unnamed ninja came over and grabbed her face.<p>

"How'd you get out of ya chains, you little bitch?" She saw Katsumi's face was flushed from anger and her fists were clenched at her sides.

"Get out, Hiroto." He smashed her face against the wall. When he got back up, she was taken by surprise when he kneed her in the face.

"Uh!" She felt her jaw go slack and closed her eyes.

"We're gonna attack tonight, little slut. You ain't doin' a thing 'bout it."

She wouldn't kill him.

"And when we're done, I'm gonna take you up to my room,"

She wouldn't kill him.

"And show you a nice time,"

She wouldn't kill him. Three times _is_ the charm.

"'Cause they say I'm _amazing_ in bed."

She has _not_ practiced peace for _nothing._ He's a jerk, is all.

"And you could do wonders with those hands of yours..."

_Maybe_ he's an exception.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to her level. When she saw he was still in shock, she punched him in the face, then in the stomach.

"Hiroto, you are dismissed!" He got up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spat. He swung the door open and closed it with a slam.

See, she didn't kill him. Her anger was perfectly controlled.

"Couldn't you have refrained from hurting him, Sakura?" Her eyes widened when she heard Ino's voice come through. She shook her head. Ino smirked.

"I'm here to strengthen the barriers in your head. This'll make it harder for them to get information out of you, thus prolonging the attack on Konoha." Sakura's eyes widened again. She poked her jaw and felt a sharp pain. Ino watched as she started moving her jaw around. He must've broken it.

Her hand started to glow green. It took her a few minutes, but when she flexed her jaw and felt it was alright, she started to talk.

"They're attacking Konoha tonight?"

"Yeah. Sakura?"

"Huh?"

"If you _ever _think about doing that shit again, I swear I'll kill you myself. I cried every single day, praying to Kami that we would be able to get out and bring you home." Ino glared.

"Kakashi?" She frowned.

"Kakashi didn't visit the hospital since the first day he returned. Now that I think about it, he didn't leave his house until today. He let the poison sit in his system half-healed. He cares about you. Too much for his own good." Sakura bit her lip. "That's why he went against orders and got us together to bring you back." Sakura let her head fall.

"But it doesn't matter anymore; it's over, Sakura. We're going to kill these bastards, and we're going to win whatever shit they're trying to pull." Sakura smiled and nodded. Ino patted her on the shoulder and put her hands on her head as a burning sensation filled her mind.

Sakura let out a deep breath.

There was only one thing that she anticipated now. She didn't know what to think. Every single emotion that she could think of swelled inside of her. Every dream, every fantasy, everything she wished with Ren, it would all disappear once she saw him.

She knew that when she saw Kakashi, that's when it would truly be over.

* * *

><p>"Greetings Leaf Shinobi. I'm so glad you could make it." Kakashi heard the voice before he saw a man walk with Sakura bound in his arms. He snarled.<p>

"So. As you may know, this is Sakura. Say hello, Sakura." Her eyes and mouth was covered with a cloth. The parts of her face he could see that were visible were bruised, and she was balding. He could smell old blood seeping off of her in waves and saying that she was dirty would be an understatement.

"Say hello, Sakura." Her captor said with an edge to his voice as he pulled her hair. He heard her whimper.

"Perfect. So this is how it's going to go. You give me the Byakugan and the Sharingan, and you can have her back. If you don't…well, she dies." He saw Naruto step forward.

"I swear, if you touch her again, I'll—"

"Ah, ah, ah." The ninja pulled out a kunai and held it to her neck. "You take another step forward, kyuubi, I'll slit her throat." He smiled as Naruto took a step back.

"Copy-nin. Isn't it such a touching reunion to be here again? I mean, after you killed all those faithful Shinobi just trying to protect their Village. But, I suppose, the tables are turned. I'm going to kill your ninja. I'm going to kill your partner, and I'm going to kill you." He heard Naruto scoff. Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"Now, now Setsuna. We wouldn't want to do that, would we?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side as he spoke. Sasuke and Naruto turned to him. The ninja named Setsuna smiled.

"Copy-ninja. You'll be amazed at the things I would do." Before anyone could blink, Setsuna had already raised his arms high above his head, and he let them crash down without a second thought.

It was then a loud crack and an anguished scream was heard.

"I did have her in my arms, didn't I?" The ninja smirked while Kakashi appeared behind him and slit his throat. He didn't pay attention to Setsuna disappearing. He was more focused on the broken girl that laid in a large crack in the ground, whose blood was now slowly pouring from her battered and bruised body.

"Agh!" He didn't really know what to think of that. Rather, he couldn't really think as a metal rod was being stabbed into his back and a sharp pain resonated throughout his body. _Maybe _he should've been more aware of his surroundings. _Maybe_ he shouldn't have paid so much attention to Sakura, and let some of his focus fall on the ninja that disappeared before him. _Maybe. _But it was too late now. He could feel warm blood fall down his back, and he knew the same was happening to her.

He barely heard Naruto yell 'Get Sakura!' before a mini rasen-shuriken came whizzing over his head. He barely made the hand signs for his barrier jutsu in time. Otherwise, they would've both been dead. He could barely feel Sakura being lifted from his grasp, and his arm being slung around a shoulder. He wasn't focused on the pain that came when the rod was pulled out of his body.

It would be later that he felt it. The weight of it all. The solemn faces as they informed Ino to rush back, that they're leaving now. How no one talked as they raced back to the Leaf Village. How horribly pale Sakura looked, slung over Naruto's back. How Ino's sobs were the only things heard, and the green pouring from her hands into Sakura was the only thing illuminating the night. How every breath he took was achingly painful. How yes, Hatake Kakashi. You've done it again. You've lost a teammate.

And, yes, Hatake Kakashi. It was all your fault.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry 'bout the delay. I've been really caught up in how this story is supposed to go. I appreciate every pm sent to me, thanks for the support! Anyways…Any ideas people! Any ideas at all are welcome. I'll accept them and give them great consideration because yes, I appreciate you and your thoughts. <em>

_Well, I hope you enjoyed this chap. Hopefully another will be up soon. Keep reviewing (Please?)!_


	8. Reacquaint

_Clash Chpt 8…Enjoy!_

**Reacquaint**

* * *

><p>"I'm…dead?"<p>

That was the only thing that came to mind as he stared at what seemed like a white abyss. This was pretty odd considering he's been living his whole life knowing he was going to hell.

He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard the beeping on the machine next to him. Reality finally came to him when he heard the drip of the IV that was attached to his arm.

No. Not Heaven. Heaven wasn't supposed to have IV drips. They were the devil.

He looked down to his bare chest and noticed gauze wrapped around his upper body. Then he remembered why he was in the damned hospital in the first place and set about taking the IV needle out of his arm. He pulled off the plugs that were on his chest and swung his legs off the bed.

Then he stopped.

Sighing, he started to search through the cupboards as much as he was able. Then he got lucky. He secured the surgical mask around his face and finished it with a knot in the back.

It was an unsteady walk to the door. He tipped a few times, but when he got there, he slowly twisted the knob. Poking his head out of the door, he peered around the corner. When he saw no nurses in sight, he swung the door open and closed it softly behind him. He went about searching for the reception desk.

Upon getting there, he smiled sweetly at the nurse in front of him and stealthily pulled off the hospital band on his wrist. He set his arm across the top of the desk.

"Would you help me find a patient?" His voice was oozing charm, he was sure, but when the nurse's gaze switched to him, her eyes looked bored and irritated.

"Who are you looking for?" She said tiredly as she pulled out what looked like a heavy binder.

"Haruno Sakura." He saw her lick her thumb and start to page through the book. When she stopped, her finger traced down the page.

"Room 214A." He gave her a nod and swiftly turned around.

"Other way, Hatake-san." Turning back around, he tried to follow the directions given to the best of his knowledge. Hospitals weren't really his thing, and anyone could tell by the numerous bruises he's received from damages to his veins. Knowing the right way to get an IV drip out wasn't really his concern when nurses were soon to be poking and prodding him.

He started to look from door to door, and for a while he thought he was lost. But then he found the door that was labeled 214A and promptly turned the corner.

First, he pulled out the charts that were hanging on a hook and immediately found the clipboard that was labeled 'Haruno Sakura'.

"Four cracked ribs and a shattered pelvis…" He felt his stomach drop and swallowed before placing the chart back on its hook. Gripping the knob of the door, he gathered himself before slowly turning it and pushing open the door. He closed it as quietly as he could and walked over to take a seat beside the bed.

He saw that her face wasn't as pale as it was before. Her hair was braided down her back and her bangs were pushed out of her eyes. There was some tube hooked up to her nostrils, and he saw there was an IV drip was embedded in her wrist. Some bruises still marked her face and her lip was busted and cracked. Her machine was beeping soundly, and though he had no idea whatever the hell that should mean, there were no nurses rushing in to save her, so he took that as a good sign.

Taking the hand that was rested across her middle, he squeezed it and leaned forward.

"Those IV drips are the devil, aren't they?" He let out a dry chuckle. He stopped when there was no response.

"Look. I suck at social interaction, but somehow I have more release talking to the dead and the comatose." He rubbed a hand across his face. "I have many regrets. There are things now that I know I could've done a bit earlier. It would've saved a life back then, and if I acted sooner, you wouldn't be in this hospital bed."

"I shouldn't have made you do something you didn't want to do." He said as a lump formed in his throat. There was no response, but he continued anyways.

"I asked for you personally…for that escort mission. I could've chosen any other medic. They would do, but I was selfish." He swallowed. "I told Tsunade-sama about how we worked together for a while in Anbu. We became compatible with each other's fighting styles. Brute strength and pure intelligence mixed with a calm mind and a knack for ninjutsu…That was a pretty unlikely pair. Besides, I've learned to work well with a number of people. I just prefer you. It didn't take much to convince her, along with seeing that I'm one of the few people who can handle your temper. And you…you can handle my laziness. You were upset afterwards, yeah, but you didn't really give it a second thought." Another dry laugh.

"I should've chosen Naruto to help me. Or we could've just gone back to the village. You would be safe, like you said. Not here. I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe it's the fact that I'm selfish, and out of all of your teammates, I work best with you. But if I knew it would've ended like this…" He took a deep breath.

"So I'll blame myself. I can blame myself for a lot of things, actually." He rested his forehead against her hand. "If I didn't provoke you back then in training, you would've never become sensitive to the words 'No Good Kunoichi'. You could've refrained from killing that ninja." He let out a breath as his hands started to shake and his mouth started to lose its moisture. "I could blame myself for not paying attention to my surroundings when attending to an injured teammate. Something you as a medic, I know, would frown upon." He gave a dry chuckle. "I can deny a lot of things, but losing the scroll of approval was my fault. When you wake up, you'll have total bragging rights." He promised.

"You're damn right," She croaked. His head shot up from her hand as he saw her head turn slightly to face him. "And I'll have to say…I told you so." She finished as her voice cracked. He squeezed her hand as a grin was plastered on her face.

"Don't worry about the partners thing, Kakashi. I think we make one hell of a team." He heard her choke out that last part as she slowly raised the upper half of her body and leaned in to him. Her sobs were mixed with laughter, he made out, as she made a weird sound each time she transitioned into the next emotion.

Doing what he did best, he stayed silent and settled for occasionally patting her back and squeezing her hand as she lay against him and cried.

And he had to say, that painful ache that took residence in his heart for the past three months was gone.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell is she?" His head turned sharply as he saw a figure lunge for him. He immediately let go of the arm that he was trying to pull up and started to back into a corner. It was useless. No one could deflect the punch that was coming now. The chakra laden fist that was coming straight for his face.<p>

"Shishou!" Then he felt it. Oh, he felt it. Right into the wall.

So when he found himself spread eagle on the surprisingly clean, tiled floor in another room, he found he was okay there. Well, as okay as he could be with a few fractured bones and a bruised ego.

He also found himself frightened a bit when his perpetrator stood above him, casting a shadow and obstructing all light from the adjourning room.

"Shishou!" He was saved when said perpetrator promptly turned back around and rushed to her bed. He could only see her backside, but he was pretty sure Sakura was being crushed in a hug.

Then, she was released. And his fear, oh it came back.

Tsunade-sama turned back towards him, her face devoid of joy.

"You! You ingrate little bastard! Three months of leeway! We practically _gave_ you a chance to reconsider your stupid, foolish, idiotic actions! Yet you still went, a day after none the less! Do you know how much hot water you've put me in?" He saw a vein twitch above her eye.

"Tsunade-sama, it—"

"Shut the hell up! I don't care what kind of condition you're in. You and everyone else you brought along are to report to the meeting room at noon. You know what the worst part is? I have no say in this. This meeting _is not mines._ I have no authority in whatever the Elder's say because the Daimyo appointed this to _them. _I can't even give out the punishments! So whatever they say, you deal with it Hatake." He saw her face soften as she turned to Sakura. "Try your best to make it." He rolled his eyes as she placed a kiss on her cheek. She turned back to him with a pointed glare before kicking aside a broken piece of dry wall and walking out of the room.

He looked much like a cockroach trying to return to its legs as he was trying to turn back over. When he finally accomplished that, he walked back through the wall, ignoring the throbbing feeling he felt in his cheek. He heard her stutter for a second before she started to talk.

"Kakashi, I…thank-you. I would've died yesterday. And Ino, t-told me…that you got t-them together t-to save me. And y-you could be punished, but you did it anyways." He turned back around to see one tear make a trail down her face. Soon, others followed. He walked back towards her bed and placed a hand atop her hair to which she flinched.

"Sorry. Just please, don't touch my hair." She begged. It was an odd request, but he took his hand off her head and placed it on her shoulder.

"I'm a stupid man, Sakura. I do stupid things for teammates." He smiled and started and started for the window. "I'll see you later, though. It's early in the morning, but I have a pretty good feeling you're going to get an influx of visitors soon." He unlocked the latches and lifted it. And in a swift movement, he was out of the window.

* * *

><p>And to that, he was right.<p>

The door flung open with a bang, and in walked a blond-haired Kyuubi and a dark-haired Uchiha.

She could've sworn he was just a few feet away from her just a second ago, but when she felt the crushing arms around her, she knew it was Naruto. His face was squished to her neck and she was pulled forward. She wrapped her hands around his back and buried her face in his clothes.

When he released her, a serious look was on his face.

"I told you, Sakura. Me and Sasuke were going to come back for you." She bit her lip as he gently shook her shoulders. She looked over to where Sasuke was standing by the door and her face broke into a smile. He nodded in return. Naruto bent down close to her ears.

"Listen, Sakura. Whatever you need, I'll be there. I'm going to get Granny to let me be your own personal nurse." She grabbed his shoulders as her eyes widened.

"No, that's quite alright Naruto. I'm sure I'll be fine." Naruto grinned and walked back to the door. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Sorry, Sakura. My mind's already made up. And it won't only be me; it's going to be the rest of the Rookie Nine. Well, not Gaara and his—"

"When was this agreed upon?"

"Oh, just a few hours ago." He stuffed his hand into his pocket and shoved Sasuke out of the door. It closed with a click.

She soon fell asleep, and the next time she woke up, there were sunflowers in a vase by her bedside table. When she picked it up, she didn't have to read the note to tell it was Guy and Lee. The wetness of the vase told her enough, but she read it anyways.

Kiba must've come too, because she had white hairs on her blanket and her hand was wet. She was sure the rest of the Shinobi she grew up with made an appearance, but there was just one that she didn't miss.

"Forehead! You better not have died on me!" That one. Her eyes shot open as Ino jabbed a finger to her forehead as she yelled. She saw that she had brought Shikamaru and Choji along, and it was always nice to see them.

"Ouch…" The next thing she knew, Ino had her arms around her and started to cry. She heard her mumble words like 'blood' and 'broken', but she really couldn't put two and two together at the moment. That hug was really killing her brain cells. But she gave in to it. As soon as it started, it ended. Ino had released her and now had her hands on her hips and a glare pointed at Sakura.

"Do you know how _scared_ you made me?" Ugh. She was _such_ a character. She went on about nothing for a few minutes, or it could be highly important, but Sakura just wasn't listening. When Ino got into one of her moods, there was no stopping her until she was done.

"Anyways, I'll take you home in a bit so you can change. Later on, we have to have dinner with your mother." Her eyes widened. Now _that_ was a character.

"They're back?" Maybe she was a bit too bummed about seeing her mom again, but they weren't exactly on good terms, considering Sakura broke a few things in the house during one of her tempers with her mom, and abruptly moved out. That would make a good dinner conversation. She scoffed.

"Yeah, they came back a few days into lockdown. They almost got arrested, you know, because they were on vacation, and you don't really need a scroll of approval to go on vacation. They just need Tsunade-Shishou's O.K. So they had to plead with Root that they were just on vacation. They had Shishou come down there and let them in. It was pretty much a slap in face to those bastards." Ino rolled her eyes. "But I'm going to dress you up real nice. And make sure you're polite."

Great.

"Well, Shikamaru and Choji hope you feel better!" At that Choji's mouth flew open. "Bye!" And then they were being shoved out of the door.

She sighed and glanced at the clock. 10:30 meant Ino was coming _real _soon.

* * *

><p>Being the last person to enter a room wasn't all it was cracked up to be.<p>

"Haruno-san. Glad to see you were able to make it. Please take a seat." It was one of the elders, Homura. She hobbled over to the last remaining seat between Kakashi and Naruto. Setting her crutches on the floor under her she lowered her head.

"Gomen Kudasai."

"No worries, you're injured." She raised her head again and nodded. "Now that you're here, we can start." She took a sideways glance at Kakashi. Seeing how his hands were fisted in his pockets, she could assume the meeting had already started.

"So, Haruno-san," It was Koharu. "Can you tell us, in your detailed point of view, what happened on that mission three months ago?" She swallowed. Three months. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted.

"I was on that mission, Koharu-sama. I can tell you exactly what happened." She heard him say in clipped tones. She turned to him with a worried look on her face.

"Hatake-san, I was addressing _her, _if you please." She could almost see his jaw clench through his mask. "Haruno-san?" She beckoned.

"Yes. Um, our team was supposed to capture Nao-san and erase suspicion that he was on our side. Sasuke's team was supposed to gather Intel or any other findings that could be helpful." She paused and looked around the room. She saw Shikamaru with his eyes closed, Neji listening intently, Ino sat a few seats down from her, and she couldn't really see Sasuke or Tenzou's faces. But she did know Kakashi and Naruto looked pretty upset.

"We went to the floor for mission planning and strategies, and I went to the room looking for Nao-san. When I couldn't find him, I had to take care of the rest of the Shinobi in the room."

"How many?"

"About 17, Elder-sama." Her eyes narrowed but she waved her hand.

"Go on,"

"We were soon attacked by three Shinobi. We wanted to avoid engaging, so I went for a quick escape route. I got the window open, but there were two explosive tags on either side of it and I was blown out of the building."

"You were on the…"

"Twelfth floor Elder-sama. But Kakashi took the brunt of it. We—"

"Kakashi wasn't in the explosion, was he?" She started to bite her lip.

"No, Elder-sama."

"Then how did he get caught up in it?" It was Homura speaking this time.

"He jumped out after me. He hit the ground first and quickly suffered from a collapsed lung. I had to puncture it. We then got news from Naruto that they had found Nao-san, but he had a wound in his chest." She realized what she said after she said it.

"How did he get it?"

"I don't know, Elder-sama." She lied. "I healed him and we moved camp. Naruto soon found we had a force of grass nin coming our way. Me and Kakashi stayed to fight, while Naruto's group took him back here." Koharu cocked her head as Tsunade walked in. She silently sat down directly in front of Sakura at the head of the circle. Then Koharu started to speak.

"Surely if you had more people with you to fight, you wouldn't have gotten captured, yes?" Sakura's hands had a tight hold on the fabric of her jonin shirt.

"I work best with Kakashi now. If we failed, those nin would be coming for Nao-san. It was better to have more people in their group." She said while looking down.

"I'm sure they wouldn't have missed one person. And Naruto, he is a very formidable ninja. You two have been on the same team basically all your career. Don't you work well with him too?" Tsunade narrowed an eye.

"In Anbu, I created a jutsu that worked with Kakashi's Raikiri. Together, it—"

"What are you implying, Koharu-sama?" Kakashi started to speak and Sakura turned sharply to glare at him.

"Watch your tone, Kakashi," She whispered harshly.

"Why didn't you allow more people on the squad that stopped the Grass Ninja?"

"Are you saying I purposely put her in harm's way?" She saw his eye was full of emotion he rarely ever showed.

"Three or four ninja would've made the difference, Hatake-san." Homura said.

"Those same two ninja still would have appeared. One or more of us would've have gotten captured either way."

"Naruto can make clones, can he not? I'm sure that would've taken most of those ninja out."

"Naruto isn't Anbu," He growled.

"I'm sure he's better than most in the organization." Kakashi slammed his hands on the table.

"_We're_ Anbu, damn it! Isn't that what you want us to do? Sacrifice for our village and its people? That's what you enforce, am I right? Naruto did not seek that rank. As Sakura's duty and as my duty, 'We shall protect the Village at all costs. Sacrificing myself for the sake of the mission. I will see through any assignment given to me.' Those were all rules instilled into our brains!"

"To think you were over that phase of being strict to the rules and guidelines of Shinobi."

"This is rich." Kakashi rubbed a hand down his face as he leant back in his chair. "I really don't understand what this has to do with _anything_ right now. You want to know what happened? We fought. I was poisoned and couldn't move. _She_ threw _me_ the scroll! _God,_ she threw me the damn scroll. And I can't change that. She was captured, and now she's here. That's it."

"As what happened to the previous female teammate you lost." Kakashi's eye widened and so did Sakura's. She turned once again to face him, but he was looking straight ahead.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sakura had a feeling that when Kakashi turned that calm, it wasn't really what he was feeling on the inside.

"I would think that your first mission as a jonin would lead you to try more to save your teammates, Hatake-san." She watched as he gripped the table and she swore he was going to break it. And then, he laughed. It was more of a guffaw. Something Kakashi rarely did because he usually settled on chuckling. Sakura's hair stood on end.

"My teammate has _nothing_ to do with this." All eyes turned to him.

"It must have some type of relevance seeing that you allowed another one of your teammates to be captured. What do you think Minato-sama would say? Or O—"

"Don't you dare say his name." His voice was low and it had a tone that she hasn't even heard him take with enemies.

"Koharu, that's enough." Tsunade said, trying to take back her position of authority. She was ignored as Koharu started to scribble something on a scroll.

"For such a blatant show of disobedience and insubordination," The roll of parchment paper was tossed to him and he read through it hastily.

"You can't do this!" He shot up as she raised her palm to stop him from talking.

"It's done, Hatake-san." He tilted his head back and she heard a bitter chuckle.

"Have your way, Elder. Now that I have my punishment, may I take my leave, Hokage-sama."

"Go." All that was heard from the room was the sound of his retreating steps, then the soft click of the door.

"He needed that." Koharu-sama reassured herself. "He needed that emotion or his past is going to eat away at him."

* * *

><p>It was another hour before the meeting was dismissed. The other's punishment was taking missions with no pay for the next three months. It couldn't get worse than that; they were just following orders.<p>

As everyone got up to leave and the Elders were shuffling out of the door, she grabbed her crutches from under the chair and slowly stood.

"Sakura, stay." She paused to look up at her mentor. When she nodded at her, Sakura placed her crutches in the chair beside her and grabbed her armrest to lower herself in her seat.

"Yes, Shishou?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Shishou."

"I'll give you a month of leave. Naruto already offered to be your nurse so I'm sure you'll be in good hands." She chuckled.

"Yes—" Tsunade eyed her strangely.

"Sakura," She started to write something on a scroll. "Start reporting to the Anbu HQ at 8:00 in the mornings. There's a man there who's going to administer therapy."

"That's alright, I don't need it." She smiled to prove her point. Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"Take the scroll." It was thrown across the table and landed in front of her. She grabbed her crutches again and got up before taking it and stuffing it into her flak jacket. "And Sakura,"

"Yes?" She paused at the door.

"Go check on Kakashi, please." Sakura nodded as she leaned on one crutch to open the door.

"That was the plan." She said while closing the door behind her. What went on in that meeting, she didn't know what to think of it. She was sure she's never heard of Kakashi losing a teammate. That had to have been before she was born. And taking that tone with an elder? There was one thing Kakashi didn't do: losing his cool. And that's exactly what he just did. She must've hit something deep. And Sakura didn't know jack about his past, so this was going to be a tough one.

She pushed the button on the elevator and waited for it to come up. How Kakashi made it look so easy to walk with the wooden sticks was beyond her. Trying to get them to stay under her arms was a hassle. Having to propel her legs forward each time she walked was a hassle. But it was either the crutches or a wheelchair, and when you're in that thing, you're at rock bottom.

Walking through the Village was never a problem for her. Usually, she could pass through the streets without any problems. Maybe occasionally meeting her peers and stopping to chat for a few seconds. But for the most part, she was left alone and kept to herself. So when she was tapped on the shoulder or stepped in front of every few seconds, she got annoyed. There were questions like 'How was it?' They asked those in the manner of a person asking how food tasted or how good or bad a book was. To those she ignored.

Others were more like 'I'm so sorry,' and 'I hope you recover.' A few people even had the audacity to question the purity in Kakashi's motives. She answered those with a 'Don't knock anyone you don't know.'

With all the distractions and the interruptions, it took her a while to get to the Hokage monument. Walking up the face of the mountain was a bitch, and finding he wasn't there was an even bigger one. She went to his favorite pub, and he wasn't there either. Knocking on his door and eventually breaking his lock produced no results.

She walked all the way to the training grounds and located his secret tree. People must've thought her crazy walking back and forth through the Village. She's been at it for at least an hour and a half.

But that was the least of her concerns. There was only one place he could be now. The one place where she didn't intrude in on him. Despite herself and her morals, she started for the cenotaph.

"I'm selfish, Obito. I'm still the selfish, arrogant bastard you knew when we were younger. I'm so confident in myself, and that almost caused a teammate her life. I can't get it right, Obito. First Rin, and now…" His voice broke as she appeared from behind the bushes. She watched as he picked himself up from his spot on the ground. She's never seen him so…humbled before. Knelt before the cenotaph with his head on the ground…That wasn't him. He turned it a bit to look back at her.

"You shouldn't be here." She walked forward.

"I have to be here," He turned back to the cenotaph. He was silent a moment before bowing his head and slowly getting up.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your friend."

"I had a friend once. I let him down." She grabbed his wrist.

"Who?"

"It doesn't matter." He looked up to her with narrowed eyes. The part of him that she's gotten close to was closing up.

"What was Elder-sama talking about, Kakashi?" He snatched his wrist away from her hold and went back to kneel before the cenotaph.

"I just can't get it right. You were going to die. You were going to die like Rin, and Obito, and Minato-sensei. And my father. My stupid, stupid father. My mother left me and Kushina-san and Asuma. Gone. They're all bastards! They all left me like bastards!"

"Kakashi, what are you talking about?" A concerned look grew on her face. She wouldn't say it. She wouldn't say that he sounded crazy. That was just wrong.

"Everyone I loved died. They're gone. And they're not coming back." He snapped.

"Kakashi—"

"Just leave. Leave me like the others did."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What do you want from me, Sakura? I thought you knew better than to interrupt me when I'm like this." She let out a deep breath.

"I want to know what happened on that mission."

"No."

"Kakashi, please." She begged.

"Sakura, I said no." He replied with an edged laced in his tone.

"Kakashi, something happened on that mission that made you act like that in the meeting room. I'm your friend. I don't want to see you like this! Please, just—"

"No, Sakura!" She jumped. He sighed. "I can't. I just can't. Please. Just go." She shuffled on her crutches and started to walk back through the forest.

"I'll always be here, Kakashi."

"I know."

* * *

><p>"That stings."<p>

"Stop being such a wuss."

"I still have open wounds on my face, Ino."

"That's exactly why I'm putting it on you." Sakura sighed.

"I don't even wear this crap." Ino huffed as she put down the case of concealer she was putting on Sakura's face.

"Look, you have to be presentable in front of your parents." She turned as Sakura grabbed her crutches to go to the bathroom.

"_I really hate these things."_ She muttered. "Look, if they want me to be presentable, I will. I'm not going to put on a whole new face for them, though. This is how I look when I get beat up. If they can't handle that, then they can't be called my parents."

"They're only civilians." She heard the water turn on as Sakura started to splash some on her face.

"You know crutches aren't really suitable for ninja." She replied trying to change the subject.

"Sakura," She warned.

"Ino, just drop it. I'll put whatever else you want on, but not concealer." Sakura grabbed a towel from the rack and dried her face as Ino came up behind her.

"Here, wear this." She tried to push a gray sundress in her hands, but Sakura pushed it back.

"You do know my hair is pink…right?" Sakura looked at her quizzically.

"Yes, but those colors look cute together!"

"Those colors clash." Ino rolled her eyes.

"Oh stop. You said you'd put whatever else I wanted on. So here." Ino once again pushed the dress in her hands as she exited the bathroom.

"You better not be fishing for heels in there," Sakura shouted as she slipped out of her uniform.

"But Sakura! You said _anything_." She whined.

"I am _not_ walking in heels while I'm injured. I barely walk in them when I'm not. Besides, these crutches are bad enough." She muttered. She could almost _hear_ her pout. "Just throw me my sandals. Those are built for comfort."

"Your _Shinobi_ sandals? Are you trying to make your parents hate you?"

"They already hate me enough as it is. Look, I'll wear this gray dress with my black sandals. I'll look fine—Oh stop frowning Pig, you'll get wrinkles." Sakura said in amusement.

"At least wear lip gloss." Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled out a little tube. Uncapping it, she smeared some on her lips.

"Happy?"

"I could kiss you."

"You call me the closet lesbian." Ino shrugged.

"All the men you always have around you, yet you haven't made one move." Ino held up a finger while Sakura pointed at her.

"Sasuke."

"Yeah, 'cause everyone knows _that_ didn't crash and burn."

"Oh shut-up. Are your parents coming?"

"Yup. Just in case your mom drops "The Talk". Then my mom can come in and…soften the blow, I guess."

"Oh yeah. Your mom's civilian. But _both_ my parents are civilian." She pointed out.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help you here." Sakura shrugged as she pulled on her sandals.

"What are you wearing, anyways?" Ino stepped out of the closet and twirled. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Too dressy." She glared.

"_I _like to look nice." Sakura clicked her tongue while Ino shoved her nose in the air. It was a spaghetti strap dress that was modest enough for her. It stopped a little ways before her knees. It was white and it wasn't form-fitting at all. A flowy dress that twirled each time she moved. Her heels weren't _that _bad. But they weren't appropriate for dinner with _parents_.

"So, what time is the dinner?" Ino glanced around the room.

"It's four now, so I'd say…six."

"Then why'd you come over so damn early!"

"I needed to make sure you'd wear something to my…partial approval." She said as she looked her up and down. Sakura scowled.

"Then what am I going to do for two—"

"Sakura-chan! We're here!"

"See you at six, Sakura!"

"No Ino, wait!" But she was already slamming the door as Naruto and Sasuke walked in. She sighed and grabbed her crutches.

"Where are you going, Haruno?" Naruto stepped in front of her as Sasuke sat down in her armchair.

"To the couch. To take a nap." She said blankly.

"Well no need for those dusty old things. Here,"

"Naruto, stop!" She was already in his arms and being placed on the couch before she could do anything about it. Tipping her head back on the couch, she groaned.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Nothing."

"Soup it is." She pulled her sandals off and threw them at the wall. Swinging her feet onto the couch proved to be a hassle. She was struggling for about a minute when she heard Sasuke sigh and get up.

"No, I've got it." More struggling. Another sigh.

"I'm serious," More struggling. A smirk.

"Help me?" A 'Hn' was heard and she rolled her eyes. He squatted and carefully pulled her legs up. Then he turned her and she was finally laid on the couch.

"What were your injuries?" When she looked up, there was a grimace there briefly, but he turned and went back to his seat in her armchair. She paused a second, realizing why the grimace was there in the first place. He was there. He was in the group that brought her back. He saw her—

"Four cracked ribs, shattered pelvis. I don't know if the wounds on my face are going to heal. They've been left alone so long." She saw his eyes narrow.

"Would you like me to heal it for you?" He couldn't be asking that question…that was totally wrong. Out of character, more like it.

"Nah, I'll heal it later." He blinked and his Sharingan was activated. She rolled her eyes. Caught.

"But you can't, can you. Look, I've seen you do it a million times. Just let me help, will you?" She sighed. He took that as her acceptance and got up. She started to raise herself but he stopped her.

"Stay right there." He knelt beside her and cupped her face. She watched as he closed his eyes and blue chakra poured from his hands. She started to giggle.

"What's funny?" He said not tearing his concentration away from healing her.

"It's just…that…I can finally say that I'm better than you at something." She continued to laugh.

"You've been stronger than me for a while now." Her laugh stopped abruptly as her eyes widened. He opened his eyes. "What?"

"It's just, you barely ever give compliments, let alone to me." He was silent for a second.

"I did, when we were still—"

"Alright, Sakura. One steaming hot bowl of soup." Thankful for the interruption, she sat up as Naruto placed a napkin on her lap and handed her the bowl.

She looked down into her lap.

And into his face.

Then she noticed the problem.

"There's no soup here." Naruto leaned over her to peer into the bowl. We he straightened, his hand immediately went to scratch his neck.

"Really? I just put some…soup…in there…" He trailed off.

"Naruto, you were in the kitchen for about twenty minutes, what have you been—Bring your face here." She saw sweat bead on his brow as he laughed nervously.

"Well, why Sakura-chan? Do you want to kiss me or something?" Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed his chin and pulled him forward. She felt his lips, then smelled them.

"You wish, loser." Naruto pouted as Sasuke went back to his seat.

"Naruto that's my soup all over your face! You ate all the noodles and…" She lifted his upper lip to peer at his gums. "Do you know how _long _that chocolate cake has been in there?" She sighed.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan. There was just so much food. And when I made your soup, I hadn't eaten all day so…"

"How about we go out? Naruto will pay." Sasuke got up and went to her bedroom to grab the crutches.

"I kind of don't want to use those. Hey, Uzumaki."

"Yes?" His head popped out of the bathroom door and he was wiping his mouth with a wet towel.

"You can carry me since you ate my soup. And my cake." She heard him sigh. Wiping his hands on the front of his shirt, he walked over to the couch to help her stand. When that was done, he slowly lifted her onto his back.

"Sasuke, grab the key from that hook over there." He did as told and switched off the lights. They stepped out, the door was locked, and Naruto was walking slowly down the stairs. Sasuke waited for them at the bottom of the steps.

"Naruto, what's taking you so long?" She heard him grunt.

"You've…gotten…so heavy…since…the last time…" She smacked him on the back of his head.

"I have not!" She shouted back.

"I'm just kidding, Haruno." He walked down the rest of the steps with relative ease.

"Where are we going?"

"Ichiraku."

"God, I'm so tired of that place." She heard Sasuke mutter. A chuckle escaped her lips.

"We're only going to have one bowl."

"Why, Sakura-chan?" She heard him whine. With her head on his shoulder like that, she could hear the shrill of his voice more than she usually would and flinched.

"I have to go to my parent's house with Ino."

"Food?"

"Dinner."

"Can I come?"

"No." She felt his jaw flex meaning he was going to open his mouth, meaning he was going to whine. She clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Inside voice, Uzumaki." She heard him sigh as he carefully sat her down on the stool beside Sasuke and took his seat on the other side of her.

"Can we get three regulars, Teuchi-san?"

"Sure thing, Sakura-chan." She leaned on the palm of her hand and yawned.

"Why can't I come?" Turning her head slightly to address him she sighed.

"I guess it's a family thing. Ino's family has always been close to mines, so…"

"And I'm family too, right? Me _and_ Sasuke. So why can't we come?"

"Well…"

"You're embarrassed of us, aren't you?" Naruto frowned as Sakura closed her eyes and blew her bangs out of her face. Running out of excuses as it is, Naruto was bound to catch her either way.

"Look. My family has never really taken a liking to my teammates." Their ramen appeared in front of them. Sakura unlinked her chopsticks and started to twist her noodles around in the bowl.

"What does that mean?" Naruto said before stuffing ramen into his mouth. She rolled her eyes and turned to look at Sasuke. He was looking right back at her.

"Well, I had the kyuubi on my team. You could burst out in full-fox mode any second and kill me. They voiced their opinions on the matter. But, it wasn't that easy for them to get me a transfer based on the fact." Naruto's eyes widened.

"They tried to transfer you?"

"Yup. Then, I had the deranged, revenge-seeking Uchiha on my team who also left the Village on a quest for power." She saw him frown and almost laughed.

"I came back," He grumbled.

"_And_ I had the son of the White Fang who fell from grace. Now that I think about it, they were pretty happy to get me on Kakashi's team. Seeing that he failed everyone sent to him, my parents practically pushed me his way. They probably still want me to reconsider my choice as a ninja. Well, my mom at least. The "Dangers" of the damn job are too great for her little girl. She even knows I trained under Shishou and she _still_ doesn't think I can take care of myself. Typical." She dug into her bowl.

"Well, I saved the Village, and Sasuke killed off any potential harm. It couldn't be that bad."

"You don't know my family." She whispered.

* * *

><p>"Sakura, I'm so glad you could make it. I heard about your injuries, but Hanako insisted that you come visit." Ino's mother appeared in the doorway. She smiled warmly and gave Sakura a tight hug.<p>

"Of course, Kiyomi. I haven't seen my daughter in ages. Sakura, let your poor mother get a look at you." And it begins.

Sakura was slightly more hesitant in approaching her mother. Knowing how much a queen she could be, she made sure to stand tall on her crutches to make sure she didn't see Naruto and Sasuke just yet.

"Why were you so late? I'm sure I told Ino six, and it's almost seven." Her mother clucked.

"I had to go back to get these," She replied, nodding to the wooden contraptions held under her arm. "They're the devil."

"Well come on in—Oh. And who's this?" She supposed her mother didn't sound rude, just not polite. Or welcoming. Or warm. Well, maybe a _bit_ rude.

"That's Naruto and Sasuke, mother. They're my teammates." Hanako looked them up and down in her disapproving way before opening the door wider for them to step inside.

"Naruto, I've heard so much about you." Hanako said in a voice that meant 'I heard about you, I just don't want to _talk_ about you.' Sakura sighed.

"Good evening, Haruno-san. It's your pleasure." She felt like slapping a hand to her forehead.

"_Your _pleasure, you Baka!" She whispered. At least he was almost there. That quick rundown lesson of manners she gave Naruto _almost_ worked. The night _could _be a pleasant one. But maybe she should've given him a demonstration; apparently, telling him 'Say it's your pleasure' didn't work the way she wanted it to. Otherwise, he was pretty adept to being nice and polite. Sasuke on the other hand…

"And this is…Sasuke?"

Could be a stubborn one.

He nodded to her and stepped inside as Sakura shot a sympathizing look to her mother. It read 'I'm sorry, mother. He doesn't talk much. But look on the bright side! He _could've _glared at you for using his name.' Scratch the earlier remark. The night was going to be a complete and utter train wreck.

"Sakura! We were so worried about you!" Maybe that should've been her mother. But her father was always the emotional one. So she supposed that was good, the only other option was to have two cold parents and suffer a cruel, cruel childhood. And nobody could soften the blow of the night but her father.

"I know, Dad." He came forward and wrapped his burly arms around her. But then he ruffled the back of her head, and things went wrong.

Slam.

The room was silent. Hanako's eyes were as wide as saucers and both of her hands were on her mouth. Naruto and Sasuke just stared and her father looked at her bewildered from his current location atop the broken coffee table.

Sakura couldn't say anything.

"Hahahahahaha! Oh Sakura! You're stronger than before! You've got to wrestle your old man before the night's over." His laugh fell over the quiet room as he walked away muttering to himself about the new generation of ninja. Sakura was still speechless. Her mother was still staring at the broken coffee table. Then her eyes slowly turned to Sakura.

"Mother, I'm sorry. It's just a reflex—"

"No, none of that talk tonight. I just want to see my daughter." A fake smile was put on her face and a brief hug was given. Then Sakura's mother stepped over the broken pieces of glass and went through the swinging door to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she was back with a broom and a bag. And soon, the mess was gone. All she could see was scuff marks on the floor where her father slid from the impact. Naruto walked over to her.

"Sakura, are you okay?" His eyes held concern and she turned to acknowledge him.

"Yeah, it's just my—"

"Dinner's ready!" She sighed as Naruto broke for the kitchen. She silently tried to remind him of his manners, but she wasn't Ino or Inoichi. She really could talk to other people through their minds, a feat in which would be very helpful at this point. Sasuke watched her quizzically as she hobbled through the same door and into the kitchen. Ino and her mom was busy setting the plates while Naruto was currently chatting up her father.

She could only guess they were speaking of her; she saw Naruto reenact movements of someone hitting another person of the head multiple times and his hands went far to show long distances. Probably to show how far she's thrown him. Typical.

Walking over to the dining room table, she took a seat in the middle and placed her crutches under the table. Sasuke came up shortly afterwards and took a seat beside her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine." A fake smile appeared on her face.

"Like mother, like daughter." That only Sasuke can see through.

"Oi, Sakura-chan. You're father is quite the man!" She rolled her eyes, turning her attention away from Sasuke's prying ones.

"He's a season builder, but he's also a merchant." Naruto's eyes widened.

"So how long has he been building? I bet for years. Have you seen the body of that guy?"

"What?"

"I said how long has he been building, Sakura?"

"I don't know. He might've helped with Tsunade's face, if that has any relevance."

"Face? Well, whatever. _I'm_ a seasoned Shinobi 'cause that's all I've been doing my whole life." Naruto flashed his winning smile and she looked at him incredulously.

"What? I said _season_ you Baka! He builds the faces on the Hokage Mountain. Whenever a new Hokage gets sworn into office, he gets called into work. But that's a side job. All other times, he's a merchant." His face was awe struck.

"So you mean…He's going to be constructing _my_ face up there, Sakura-chan? Hey old man! I'm gonna be the next Hokage! You wanna start making molds for my face?" Naruto shot up and ran back to where her father was and their conversation started anew. She felt hands on her shoulders and jumped.

"Don't worry forehead, it's only me." She relaxed as Ino bent down to her ear. "I'm glad you're being civil about this. I would've already bit his nose off." She smiled as Ino walked back into the kitchen.

It was only a few minutes later that they were saying grace and the food was set on the table. Hanako sat next to Kiyomi and Daisuke sat next to Inoichi. Sasuke and Ino sat on either side of her with Naruto beside Sasuke.

"Go get that, Daisuke." She saw her father get up from the table and exit the room. "Sakura, why haven't you called your mother?" Hanako frowned. She paused after taking a bite of her food.

"She just got back last night, Hanako-san." She heard Ino say.

"Well we were here for a while, how long was your mission?" Sakura's hands tightened on her fork as the room fell silent. Again.

"Mother, I—"

"I know we had a fight but there's no reason not to contact your mother." Her words began to ring in her ears.

"Hanako-san," Naruto started. "Sakura hasn't been—"

"I'm sorry, mother. I just haven't had the time." Naruto shot her a look and Sasuke stayed impassive.

"Look what the cat dragged in, Hanako!" Her mother's eyes fell on her in a way that said 'This isn't over'. When she turned, Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You better tell her soon, Sakura. Before she finds out from someone else." Ino whispered. She bit her lip in thought. If her mother found out, then—

"Who would've thought I'd have Hatake Kakashi at my dinner table?" Her father exclaimed. Sakura's head whipped back as her eyes widened. Kakashi was seated next to Ino.

"It's an honor to be at your table, Daisuke-san. I was invited here by Sakura, and I just couldn't resist."

"Oh, Hanako don't frown like that. You know, the day they were going to sculpt your face on the mountain, I was out sick."

"It's okay, I wasn't cut out for Hokage anyways." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Oh no. That's not it. You know, your father was a great man. He made me who I am today. Well that, and a whole lotta exercise!" She saw his shoulders immediately tense and he nodded.

"Mother, may I be excused?" Hanako turned her attention away from Kakashi and smiled at Sakura.

"Sure, dear." Sakura bent over to reach under the table. Once she located her crutches, she had Ino help her up.

"Kakashi," She started out of the kitchen door.

"Excuse me," He folded the napkin on his lap and placed it on the table before pushing his chair back.

Pushing through the door he saw her standing in the middle of living room with her arms rested on her crutches.

"I—"

"You don't have to explain. It's your past, Kakashi." He nodded. "How'd you know I was here?" He tipped his head back and snorted.

"Ino found me on my way back." She rolled her eyes.

"Typical. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure—" He reached for her head, but remembering their last incident, he placed on her shoulder. He then surprised her by pulling her in for a hug.

"We're good." She patted his back and let go. He walked back through the door and held it open for her to pass through.

"Sorry, dad. I didn't mean to hold you up." She blushed.

"That's quite alright, Sakura. Now," He said as he stuck a fork into his meal. "How was your last mission?" The frown returned to her mother's face.

Oh hell.

* * *

><p>"Sakura! If I had known these were the risks, I would've pulled you out sooner!"<p>

"Hanako, the girl is 23. I'm sure she can take care of herself." Her father tried to reassure her mother, but she knew it was a lost cause. If Kakashi had known to keep his mouth shut, then they wouldn't be having the conversation. But of course, he didn't know her family.

"In enemy land? Bound? No, I don't think so." Her mother's arms were crossed over her ample chest.

"Mom, I was fine."

"You're lying to me."

"Mom, I'm no—"

"Lying may be your specialty, but your poker face is shit, Sakura."

"Hanako, watch your mouth." She shot a glare.

"I came back, mother. That's all that matters." A sigh escaped her lips as she ran her hands down her face.

"Three months? At least let me take care of yo—"

"No! I-I mean, Shishou already got Naruto and Sasuke to take care of me. Ino's going to help out too. And I'm supposed to be off my crutches in about a day."

"How long did Tsunade-sama give you off?"

"A month."

"A month?"

"A month, mother."

"But you were gone for three! They should at least give you—"

"Mother, I'm a ninja. I'll be fine."

"Fine. But can you use the month to give me some grandchildren?" Sakura blushed.

"Mother!"

"Oh, Sakura. Quiet down. You're 23. I'm not going to stay this young forever and neither are you." Sakura snorted. Young?

"Hanako, stop all that talk. The girl will have babies when she finds the right man. Hopefully one sitting at this table?" The blush returned.

"Dad! _Please."_ She heard Naruto snicker and shot a glare his way.

"Sakura, come on! I mean, you got the boy who saved the Village at this table. You can't be _that_ blind to see he's handsome! Spitting image of the fourth!"

"Well uh," Naruto stammered. "He's my dad."

…

"Hahahaha! Well would it make sense for him not to be?" Daisuke slapped a hand on his knee. Ino's father rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, Inoichi. Lighten up, will you?"

"Not everything is laughable, Dai."

"Aw, whatever. And Sasuke! The prodigy. Boy, Sakura was 'bout ready to—"

"_Dad!"_ Her father pouted.

"No, no, Daisuke. Keep on," Kakashi encouraged. If her eyes could glare daggers, he would be dead.

"Well, he's a handsome young man too. Doesn't talk much, but I'm sure he's just shy. Ain't that right, boy?" Sasuke's eyes shifted from her father to Sakura to which he nudged.

"Alright, dad. That's enough." Her mother looked as if she was going to explode.

"Kakashi, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty, sir." Daisuke scoffed.

"Twenty my a—"

"Okay, Daisuke! Inoichi can you help me get these plates? Kiyomi, I'm going to need your help in the kitchen. They're going to be in here a while anyways." Hanako sighed and started gathering up the plates. Inoichi helped her and Kiyomi made her way to the kitchen.

"Do your arms still work good, girl?"

"Yeah…"

"Then come over here and show me that strength you use! My, Kakashi this girl pushed me through a coffee table 'bout seven feet back! Don't be shy Sakura."

"Sakura? No. Not her." He leaned back in the chair and gave her an eye crease. She glared.

"Oh really? Come here dad. I'll finish you after him." Daisuke clapped his hands and stood up.

"Ino, move out of the way. Lemme wrestle my daughter." Ino rolled her eyes and followed her mother into the kitchen.

"Alright, Dad." Taking her hand in his, they pressed their elbows on the table. Naruto placed his hands on top of theirs.

"Ready, set, Wrestle!" Daisuke began to laugh.

"It's sad when a big ole', thirty-something can't beat a little girl." Sakura scoffed.

"Dad, you're forty-nine."

"Oh yeah."

Slam!

"Ha Ha! Victorious again! Dad, you keep doing this, you're going to get a broken hand." He frowned.

"I'm going to beat you, when you hit thirty-something like me and lose your ninja powers."

"Yeah right. Kakashi, you're up."

"Sorry, Daisuke. I've got your daughter beat." Her father flexed his hand.

"Yeah right. You don't got no meat on you, boy." She could see a smirk beneath his mask.

"What are the stakes?" Sakura patted her chin in thought.

"Loser carries winner around for the rest of the day."

"That's just because you're injured."

"Think what you want." She grasped his hand.

Slam!

"Rematch."

"What? I won!"

"No, I wasn't ready."

"Fine. Naruto,"

"Ready…set…wrestle!"

Slam!

"Rematch."

"She won fair and square, Kakashi. Twice, actually." She saw Kakashi's shoulders drop as Sakura stuck out her tongue and threw a 'V' in the air.

"Are you guys done in there?" Hanako head peeked out of the kitchen door.

"Yes, mother." She pushed the rest of her body out of the door with a cake in her hand.

"Thanks, babe." Daisuke's hand was smacked away and the cake was set in front of Sakura.

"Honey, please. Be safe, okay? I love you." She kissed her brow.

"I love you too mom." Sakura wrapped her arms around her back. "Alright. Well, it's getting late." Sakura grabbed her crutches and headed for the door.

"Be sure to call me, okay?"

"Promise. Naruto, grab that cake."

"I'll have a rematch ready for you next time, dad!" She called through the door. She heard a laugh before she shut it.

"Naruto, take these." She handed him her crutches. "Give the cake to Sasuke. Kakashi, don't you dare." He stopped mid-step and turned around.

"Caught." He walked forward again and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Sakura-chan, how come you're the only one with pink hair? And your dad's skin is olive so…"

"My mother said I had a great-grandmother somewhere with pink hair. I don't know. Kakashi, stop trying to run away." He was in the process of walking down another step when he was caught again.

"Look, I have a bad back—"

"That won't work." He sighed before placing one hand on her lower back and the other under her legs. Then he started to grunt.

"What is up with you men and fat jokes?" He chuckled before picking her up.

"It's really funny to get you upset." She pouted.

"Yeah, I bet. Just take me home, loser." He scoffed.

"Mah, Sakura-chan. But I'm still the one carrying you."

* * *

><p>"Why are you guys always the one who stay, but don't clean up?" Sakura said as she threw some dishes into the sink. "Those better be gone when I wake up."<p>

"Ah, so she learns how to walk." She snorted

"I could always walk, Kakashi. It just hurts to do so." He turned back to his porn.

"Oi, Sakura-chan! Nothing good is on." Naruto was flipping through channels. There was never anything interesting enough for him to last more than a few seconds. Sasuke was sprawled on the couch with his head tipped back and his arm splayed over the top. She watched him for a second and noticed the rise and fall of his chest wasn't simultaneous with the contracting of his nose. Nerd, yes. But she stifled a laugh behind her hand when she figured out what it meant.

"Sasuke, stop holding in your snores. You don't _have_ to be perfect." He glared at her as she went to put the remainder of the cake in the fridge.

"Give me that," Naruto tossed the remote to Kakashi. Sakura went to her bedroom.

Dressing was a hassle, especially when she had to put on her shorts. There was a lot of pelvic movement involved in the act. When that was done, she slipped a baggy t-shirt over her head and her feet into warm slippers. They were a luxury, but also very therapeutic.

Walking back into the kitchen, she grabbed four beers out of her cooler. She tossed one to each of them and opened her top with her shirt. Then, she slowly sat down on the couch between Naruto and Sasuke. She took a swig and let it burn down her throat. The bittersweet taste felt so good gliding down her throat. She stole a glance at the others, and their beers were right where she threw them; in their laps. Even Sasuke's eyes were glued to the television.

"Kakashi, what's this?" He slowly dragged his eyes away from the screen to lock with hers, and even then he didn't acknowledge her. It was only when she snapped her fingers did he shake his head.

"Oh, Icha Icha Movie 4." His eyes slowly went back to the movie.

"I didn't subscribe to this…Is this _pay-per-view?_" She smacked Naruto in the arm and his reflexes were a bit quicker than Kakashi's were.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He waved a hand at her and turned back to the screen.

"Sasuke?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Hn?" She narrowed her eyes and turned to the screen to see what was so damn interesting about a stupid pay-per-view movie that even Sasuke—

"God, how much did this _cost?"_ Heat swelled in her cheeks as she cringed at the sight before her. "You animals! How can you even watch this?"

"Ah,"

"Yeah. Yeah, whatever."

"Hn."

A look of pure disbelief shone through her face. She turned her head sideways just to figure out how she got her legs to go that way when he was clearly—

"Oh my God!" She shielded her eyes with her hands, but eventually her fingers opened a bit and she peeked through.

"Ah,"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Hn."

And then she had pity for the man on the screen. His hands were bound behind his back, her hands were bound behind her back, they were naked, she was in a split above him—_that_ must hurt. He just thrust upward and climaxed and, oh God, she was thrown off the bed. Her pity switched to the woman. He must have an _awesome_ pelvis for that type of thrusting.

"Hehe…Hehe,"

"Ha!"

"Hn,"

"What are you giggling for? She was thrown off the bed!" Kakashi shot a glare at her. "His semen's _everywhere!"_

"Ha! Sensei look, she's bleeding!" Her head snapped towards Naruto.

"Damn, that means she was a virgin." Sasuke shook his head.

"Or, she's a medic. They can rebuild they're hymen over and over again." Even _Sakura_ didn't know that. So when every head in the room turned to him, she joined them.

"How would you…"

"Watch the movie, Dobe." He willingly obliged.

"Kakashi, where's the damn plot?" She said with a disgusted look on her face. It seems the female character got back up and crawled over the bed. Now she's on the bottom and is that look on her face normal? "You guys are—"

"Shhhhh!" Naruto clapped a hand over her mouth and gave her a quick glare before returning to the movie and slowly removing it.

She _supposed_ they were having pretty good sex. And _maybe_ the plot was stuck in there somewhere. She just had to listen. So she would watch the movie…for now.

She took a swig of beer for good measure.

* * *

><p>For now with Sakura usually meant she was going to go along with whatever plan they had in mind. She never had enough willpower <em>not <em>to.

She wound up balling tears at the end of the movie. They were fast asleep. It was funny because, once the plot started to show itself, that's when they started to lose interest. Typical men. If it doesn't have sex, it's just plain boring.

That left her studying her medical scrolls half the night with Naruto's arm swung over her shoulder and Sasuke's head rested on her thigh. Kakashi was splayed all over her armchair snoring pretty loudly, if she might add.

Collateral for later.

She ended up drinking their beer which, surprisingly, lasted her through the night. Though, she had to take a few bathroom trips and one to her bedroom to grab a pair of reading glasses and a small lamp.

Old scrolls. Herbs, medicines, poisons, antidotes, solutions that were dangerous if in contact with skin…All of those she had memorized. Why she was reading it again? A medic can never be too keen.

She paused in quizzing herself and her pencil stopped. She listened around the room.

"Kakashi, you can stop faking it. I already know you're up," She said as she pushed her glasses up her nose and her pencil continued to scratch more notes. From the corner of her eye, she saw him stretch his limbs and yawn.

"Oh well, I guess I'm caught." He cracked his neck a bit then mussed up his hair some more. Not like he needed it, the bed head he is. He leant forward and let his elbows rest on his knees and his face was placed in his upturned hands.

"How did you sleep?" She paused.

"Amazing." Her pencil continued.

"You liar." She took the glasses off of her face and rubbed her eye. She put out a finger in his direction.

"See, eye crust." He chuckled.

"Proves nothing."

"Uh-huh. It proves that my eyes were closed for a long period of time."

"It _proves_ you cried and let your tears dry up." She pouted.

"What do you want, Kakashi."

"You didn't sleep." She set her pencil down on the ground and stretched. Hearing her bones pop satisfactorily, she rolled her scroll up and stuffed it under the couch.

"I did, I was asleep while you were. I just woke up before you."

"Sakura," He said in a tired tone.

"Why are you pushing this?" He sighed.

"Alright. You're not off the hook yet." She nodded.

There was a pop, then a cloud of smoke in front of her.

"TonTon!" The pig ran forward and Sakura picked her up to nuzzle her nose.

"Buhi! Buhi Buhi!" Sakura frowned.

"I remember." Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Buhi, Buhi Buhi! Buhi…" TonTon turned her head and shot a look at Kakashi. His other eyebrow was raised.

"Another?"

"Oink." And she disappeared in another pop and a puff of smoke.

"And you…understand what she says." Sakura looked at him quizzically.

"You don't?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"What did she say anyways?"

"She reminded me of my appointment at eight, and we have another meeting at three." Kakashi fell back on the couch and groaned.

"What's your appointment for?"

"Anbu stuff," She went back to her notes.

"They're assigning you a new partner?" She stopped again.

"Why would they do that?" She took the last swig of her beer.

"I'm not your captain anymore."

And then she choked.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks guys for bearing with me! More reviews? I would appreciate them. Anyways, Nao is coming back in the next chapter. And yes, Sakura can understand TonTon as well as Shizune and Tsunade can. 'Cause they're awesome. <em>

_Remember….Review!_

_-Keoo19_


	9. Suppressing Emotions

_Rated M for Language. Clash Chpt. 9…Enjoy!_

**Suppressing Emotions**

* * *

><p>"What the hell…Sakura?" He yawned while wiping his eyes.<p>

"So you just drop me like that? I can't _believe_ you!"

"I would appreciate it if you would _drop me."_

"Sasuke," Naruto started to pat his cheek. "Sakura's choking Sensei,"

"Hm?" He also yawned.

"Why would you do this to me Kakashi? Who am I going to work with now?"

"Seriously, Sakura. This hurts, and I can't breathe."

"Oh stop being such a girl. Man up!"

"Naruto, what happened?" Sasuke stretched as he sat up on the couch. Naruto linked his fingers behind his head.

"I dunno. I heard her choking a few minutes ago, next thing I knew, Sensei's up like, eight feet in the air, and Sakura's just yelling at him." Sasuke smirked.

"What do you think happened?"

"He told her something she didn't like," He suggested.

"Hn. I've never seen him beg like that." Naruto snickered. Another smirk.

"I haven't even been on one official mission yet! _One!" _

"Listen Sakura. If you kill me, you'll never find out. Put me _down."_ They heard a huff. Then, Kakashi was dropped to the armchair. Sakura's hands went to her hips.

"I want answers, Hatake! Why the—" She glanced at the clock above his head. "Ugh! You are _so_ lucky I have somewhere to be." She stomped over to her room. The next time she appeared, she was in her medic shorts and her Haruno shirt. She grabbed the scroll from the table.

"This mess better be gone when I come back! Lock the door!" She yelled as the it slammed. Kakashi rubbed his sore neck.

"What are we going to do while she's gone?" Naruto said.

"Icha Icha Movie 5." Kakashi grinned as Naruto passed him the remote.

"Hn."

* * *

><p>She sighed as she looked at the scroll she was given. She had to walk up two flights of stairs and her pelvis was <em>still<em> sore. This meeting made no sense in the first place. She was perfectly fine, and no offense, her Shishou was in no place to claim otherwise.

She knocked on the door.

"Enter." Twisting the large doorknob, she walked into a brightly lit room. There was a chair in the middle of it and a desk on the far opposite. The man seated behind the desk looked up from whatever he was writing and smiled.

"Take a seat." She looked around the room as she walked to the chair. It was barely decorated. Everything was stone, and she saw very little things littering his desk.

"Informal office?" She offered.

"Ah." Lowering herself into the chair, she crossed her legs.

"I suppose you know every technicality about me."

"That's my job. Put your arms down, please."

"What is this going to do?" She snapped. He walked back around to his desk and picked up a manila folder. He opened it and moved to sit on the edge.

"Haruno Sakura. Twenty-three years old. Born into a civilian family. Ninja registration number 012601. You received top grades in the academy and graduated at age twelve. Assigned to Team Seven under Hatake Kakashi, teammates Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. You had an apt for genjutsu with your perfect chakra control and you are an Earth style user." He flipped a page as she crossed her arms.

"Upon Uchiha Sasuke's defection, you turned to the Godaime for training and you became a medical-nin. You were promoted to Chunin at age fourteen. At age eighteen you made jonin, also the time Uchiha Sasuke returned. At nineteen you sought the position of field medic. Then it lists your accomplishments, which I see there are quite a few." He finished with a chuckle.

"Again, what is this going to do?" She growled.

"At twenty you were actually romantically involved with the Uchiha—"

"That's off the record! How'd you—!"

"He cheated on you with a comrade, and you guys bumped fists a few times. She poisoned—"

"Sleeping agent!"

"Then you got sponsored for Anbu by Hatake Kakashi. You haven't had your first mission yet though. But on your last mission with Might Guy, Rock Lee, Hyuga Neji, TenTen, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hatake Kakashi, you were sent to capture Tadashi Nao. You were a POW for three months, and was recently recaptured by Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Tenzou…Yamato…whichever."

"You were teased in your early years in the Academy for your huge forehead that you now cover with your bangs. You were in love with the Uchiha early on also. You focused on your intelligence more than ninjutsu, which led to your poor skills in battle. Often, you believed yourself to be the third wheel on your team because you were surrounded by exceptional Shinobi. You were a crier when you were younger, and was always protected by your teammates and your Sensei. You wanted to make something out of yourself and figured this resolve on a mission to Orochimaru's hideout. You're a very angry person, and result to using brute strength rather than talking things out. " Then he smiled, much to Sakura's dismay. The manila folder was snapped shut.

"Now that that's done…Hello, Sakura. My name is Hiroto." Sakura's upper lip rose in a snarl. After telling her all about herself, he only tells her his first name. Typical.

"This is pointless. If all you're going to do is tell me about myself, stuff that I already know, I'm gone." She got up and started across the room. Reaching for the door handle, he spoke.

"Sakura. Sit down." He growled despite his earlier peachy mood. She stalked back to her seat.

_"Waste of time…"_ She muttered.

"You were a POW for three months. I'm sure that left you with scars."

"No. I'm fine." She bit out.

"Your arms please," Outstretching her arms as asked, she rolled her eyes.

"You have multiple holes in your arms that never healed. Stab wounds."

"Syringes."

"Filled with…"

"Sedatives. Over and over I had to be sedated because I wouldn't stay down. I wouldn't break. That's why I'm _fine_." She growled.

"And your face," He pulled her chin closer to him. She flinched when she felt his warm chakra seep into her face. "So many unhealed bruises under your skin." He pressed his thumb down on her cheek. She winced. "Tendons are ripped here," He touched her neck. "Here," And he made a move to her hairline, but a hand shot up and grabbed his.

"Stop." He moved away.

"Your hair. That's the trigger." She bit down into her lip…hard. She started to shake as she balled her hands into fists. "What did they do to it? Rip it out? Were you dragged by your precious hair? How did it feel _Leaf bastard?_" Slamming her fists down on the arms of the chair, she started to breath ragged breaths.

"My fucking hair! They played with my hair like I was a rag doll! They burned me so many times a day…Each and every time my hair would fall out; they got their medics to grow it back. Every damn time. They pulled my hair and…damn it! I couldn't do anything!" Her eyes became red with anger and her cheeks flushed. Spit flew out of her mouth with every pant as tears came out of her eyes. "I want to kill each and every one of those bastards. Ripping their limbs off won't come close to satisfying me." She growled.

"Do you sleep?" He sat down at his desk and she watched with fury as he picked up a pen and started to write in her folder. She pursed her lips in anger as her chest's rise and fall became more apparent.

"No. I don't sleep. I _can't._ Not anymore. I spent half the night reading over med scrolls!" He looked up at her.

"And the other half?"

"Genjutsu simulations. Torturing those _Grass bastards_ over and over again. Write that in your damn folder." And she was out of the door.

* * *

><p>"Turn it off! Sakura's down the street, and she's <em>pissed." <em>Naruto shouted over the moaning of the TV. Kakashi scrambled to find the remote while Sasuke rushed to the kitchen. Beer bottles littered her house and their take-out boxes were put haphazardly on the table and counters. Well any flat surface, really.

He started to throw out the ones they ate from and put hers in the fridge. Picking up their empty bottles and tossing them in the trash was no easy feat when they were _everywhere._ Then there was a knock on the door.

"Naruto, get that!" Naruto ran to the door. He heard the noise of dishes being stacked and he threw the last bottle in the trash. As the door opened, Sasuke jumped over the couch and Kakashi ran to the armchair. His book was open in a flash.

"Sakura! How was your—"

"Get out of my way." She growled as she pushed open the door. He looked up from his book. When Naruto said pissed, he thought 'Usual'. But anger was coming off her in waves. He decided it best to go back to his book and leave her alone until she cooled off.

"Kakashi!" Damn. So much for that. He snapped his book shut and placed it on the coffee table. Maybe it was something minor, like a misplaced bed sheet or a moved scroll—

"Get your lazy ass up. You're not off the hook." Damn. So much for that. Sighing as he got up, he walked timorously to her room. He saw she was facing a wall with her hands on her hips.

"What's the matter…?"

"Sit." She growled while pointing a finger to the bed. He rubbed his forehead as he did what she, not asked, but stated. Scratch that. _Commanded._

"Sakura, maybe we should do this another time…" She turned around with red eyes and her lips fashioned in a straight line.

"Did you quit on me? I mean, I know I was captive for a few months, but whatever training I missed I promise, I'll make it up."

"No Sakura. Look," He unbuttoned a pocket on his flak jacket and pulled out a scroll. He held it out for her to take.

"What's that?" Her cautious fingers reached forward to take the scroll. When opened, he watched her eyes scan through it. With each line her eyes either got wider or narrowed.

"The Elders took me off the Captain Position indefinitely." She rolled up the paper and put it in his waiting hand. Back in the pocket, snapped shut.

"Does there _have_ to be a Captain on our man to man?"

"Well, yeah. There always has to be someone to take orders from. Without that, there would be chaos and disorganization." She let out a shaky sigh as she lowered herself onto the desk.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Captain." He looked up to her.

"What?" Her blood red eyes searched his as they were filled with doubt.

"Captain, Sakura. Seek the Captain position and request me."

"I-I can't be a _Captain!_ I'm an Anbu rookie, fresh off the roster." She shook her head.

"I've seen what you can do. You're ready." She closed her eyes.

"I'm not, Kakashi. I haven't even been on a real mission. I'll be eaten alive! And you? I can't lead _you._ It's—."

"Wrong? Sakura, you were the head of the Hospital under Tsunade. I'm sure it's no different." She gave him a pointed look. "You liked to prove your point a lot, okay. But when you do…you have to be right." Her shoulders dropped.

"Then we quit."

"Quit? You can't just _quit._"

"All those years you were teaching us, what happened to Anbu?"

"I was assigned a genin team, I couldn't take Anbu missions. You have to become Captain Sakura. Either way, I have to be put on another man to—" Her eyes shot open. A wide range of emotions started coursing through her body as she leaned forward. Dangerously close to him, Kakashi backed up a bit and watched as her eyes narrowed. Seeing Sakura this way was…wrong. Yes she got upset, but not like this. Not before.

"No. It's my fault I got captured. My fault. I'm not going to let you take the fall for it." She bit her lip and pointed a shaky finger at him. "I went on that last mission as Anbu. All those rules shoved into my brain…I said nothing Kakashi! Nothing!" She started to shake uncontrollably as a hand started to hit the desk repeatedly.

"Sakura…"

"_Nothing._ I didn't say a_ word._ I didn't reveal anything about this stupid Village." A hand flew to her mouth as she started to choke back a laugh. Kakashi got up and reached for her wrist. She snatched it away. If he didn't know better, he would've said she's gone mad. Her face lit up in a snarl as he saw a glint her eyes. Gone mad…

"Sakura."

"The _Village! _I sacrificed my damned sanity for this fucking Village." She growled. "I'm tired…of the sacrifices…made for this _Village_." He saw her eyes start to water. "I want Anbu…because it's the last reminder I have left of _everything_ I lost." She opened her mouth to speak, but without having words to say, it closed again. She pushed off of her desk and through the living room.

"Sakura-chan, what—" She stopped in front of the couch and raised her palm.

"Just don't, Naruto." She continued to walk the rest of the way and slammed the door behind her. Kakashi appeared from her room with a perplexed look on his face. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as everyone turned to him.

"What just…" He shook his head and walked over to the door.

"I don't know, Naruto. But I do know that we've taken underestimated how deceiving she can be." Sasuke got up from the couch and followed him.

"Where are you going?" His hand on the doorknob, he looked back over to Naruto.

"I have to find her."

"Then we're coming with you."

* * *

><p>Speaking her mind wasn't the plan. With Kakashi, none the less. The plan, in all its actuality, was to keep up her façade. At least until her mind told her it would all be the same again. She laughed, she ate, she yelled, she slept…Supposedly. But what was inside of her…that was something entirely different.<p>

Feeling just wasn't the same anymore. Sure she laughed, but it didn't have the same ring to it. Yes, she ate. But now, she preferred drinking. She hasn't showered since she returned because she's afraid of touching her hair. She can't sleep anymore; they took that away from her.

They used to say that Kirigakure was infamous for their techniques of making people talk. She believed it. Now she'd attest to it. With Mist under new management and their old moniker 'Bloody Mist' dead, she would now claim that Grass uses powerful techniques to get what they want.

Pain. Pain was their answer. And she endured so much of it. So many scars, internal and external, she would say now they probably rivaled Ibiki's. They cut her open, many times. Stretched her limbs until she couldn't _feel_ them anymore. Playing with her mind, making her think and feel things that she shouldn't normally feel, making her think she was back at home with her teammates or sparring with Kakashi. Making her see alternate worlds where she was hated and loathed by all. Making her feel at the end of each day 'Why the _hell_ won't they kill me?' She wanted to die, and she wouldn't deny it. Ever.

Young children believed that nightmares were monsters and creepy little things that hid under their beds and in their closets. She saw them in the faces of Grass ninja.

So she refused to sleep. A self-induced insomniac…something much like Gaara. He didn't sleep because he was afraid the Shukaku would awaken in his dormant state and go on a rampage. She feared that if she closed her eyes, she would relive each and every nightmare like it was reality. The nightmares that _were _reality... that was everything she lived through those three months in captivity. And when that happened, she would lose that last little shred of sanity she was clinging to.

She wiped away at the tears that fell as she leaned on her favorite cherry blossom tree. Wrapping her arms around herself, she thought about times like these when she wished the world would cry with her. Share her pain and anguish. Throw ugly tantrums with thunder, lightning, and awful hurricanes. She wished she could do so. But the fear of snapping was far greater than the release that yelling would provide.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as her arms fell to the earth. She dug her fingers into the dirt and tipped her head back to lie on the tree. Maybe it was wrong to feel better by touching dirt. But she supposed that was one thing that didn't change with her return.

A twig snapped and she turned her head. Three figures appeared from behind the foliage.

"Sakura," She took her fingers from the dirt and started to shake off her hands. When that was done, she rose and closed the steps between them.

"Hey," She smiled as a gentle breeze hit her face. She loved the Earth. She just hated Grass. She saw their eyes were narrowed. With her hands linked behind her, she started her walk back through the forest and heard them follow soon after.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" She frowned. She slipped up, is all.

"Why wouldn't I be?" It would be back to normal. Like it should've been when she returned. But she slipped up.

"You were upset about Anbu. You stormed out…so we came here." She shrugged while looking from side to side, examining how much the trees have grown since she was last here.

"Yeah. I mean, I get upset sometimes. You guys don't have to baby me. I won't hold a grudge or anything if you don't come looking." She heard a sigh and a giggle came from her lips. Back to normal.

"But you walked out. You never walk—"

"Damn. It seems time has gotten away from me. The meeting is at three so…Kakashi?" Turning to face him and grabbing his watch, she ignored the look he gave her. The look that told her that she was hiding something, and he wasn't going to let go. Either way, after checking the time, she looked up to him and smiled. The look didn't disappear.

"It's only ten. So…what do you guys want to do?" Naruto perked up.

"Ramen!"

"Hell no!"

"I'm _hungry."_

"We _just_ had takeout."

"That was like two hours ago!"

"Where the hell does all your food go?"

"Well…I think most of it goes to my energy. And I'd say the rest would go to my unpredictability."

"I'm glad you didn't say intelligence." She watched as Sasuke walked off and Naruto scrambled to catch up with him. Kakashi soon fell in step with her. Sakura withheld a groan.

"What was your meeting about?" She let her eye twitch as a substitute for rolling them. He pulled out Icha Icha Tactics and then her eyes did roll.

"Just about mission stuff." He hummed.

"I didn't know they discussed missions with therapists." She frowned. That was the wrong thing to say. Trying to explain off a therapist session with an Anbu expert can go on the 'Things I've Tried' list.

"It was just about the unofficial one." He couldn't argue with that one; it was fool-proof.

"…I thought unofficial missions were archived by the Hokage. Hm. They must've changed things…" She huffed and stepped in front of him. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

"I hear your back has been killing you lately. They say I give _the best_ massages." She wiggled her fingers in emphasis as green chakra highlighted their tips. She saw him raise both eyebrows and watched as they furrowed when he narrowed his eyes.

"Sakura, you can't blackmail me out of caring." Her lips pursed as she turned and continued to walk.

"Who says?" He sighed and followed after her.

"Sakura—"

"Kakashi, I'm the same as before. If you could stop worrying about me, I'd be able to get back to life." Her fingers brushed against the various leaves and bushes they passed. His hand roughly grabbed her shoulders and she jumped.

"Listen, Sakura. It's not as easy as you think to just move on." She frowned.

"Pot calling kettle black, huh Kakashi?"

"What?"

"Tell me your demons and I'll tell you mine." She growled. He was silent. "That's what I thought." She turned back around and continued to walk while her fingers went back to their linked position. Walking out of the clearing, they appeared at the gates.

"You bastard! Just 'cause _you _hide your fetish for rice balls doesn't mean that I can't profess my love for ramen." Sasuke's eyes visibly widened and a faint tint of red was on his cheeks.

"Shut the hell up, Naruto." He threatened. Sakura covered her mouth with her hand as she stifled a laugh. Sasuke…blushing? Unreal.

"Or what? You just don't want anyone to know you have secret stashes of rice balls everywhere! Even under your _bed_." Then Sakura couldn't hold it in anymore. Hand forgotten, the laugh escaped. Her. Walking over to where he stood, she clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Are you serious? Rice balls? I mean, I knew you liked them, but…under your bed?" She said with a giggle coming out of her mouth every few seconds. He glared. "That's pretty unhealthy, Sasuke."

"No. His ramen addiction is unhealthy." He bit out. Sakura shook her head.

"It's okay, Sasuke. _I_ believe you." A giggle. Another glare. "Anyways, what are we going to do until three?" Naruto lit up.

"Well, we _can_ play…" He said with a glint in his eyes. Sakura smirked.

* * *

><p>"I want the Kyuubi. My partner is totally slow."<p>

"We're running at the same pace."

"I'm injured. That's not saying much." There was a chuckle on the other end.

_"Yeah, how come I'm not on Sakura-chan's team? She called dibs."_ Naruto wondered. Sasuke pressed the button on his neck and replied.

"Kakashi called a rule." Sakura scoffed at that. "Plus, they've got a bet going. And you _know_ not to get in between those." Sasuke said mockingly. There was never a game they could play anymore without a bit of competition between the two. He rolled his eyes as he heard a groan on the other end before he let go of the button.

"Sakura, explosive tag!" She tried to stop but she fell of the branch. Sasuke caught her hand and flipped her over his back.

"Thanks." They went back to the normal pace.

"No problem." Sakura held a button on her neck.

"Kakashi,"

_"Hm?" _

"If these explosives kill me, I'll haunt your ass." A chuckle.

_"Yes, well, this **is** extreme tag."_ She scoffed.

"Extreme tag my a—"

_"Like father like daughter."_ She rolled her eyes and let go of her microphone.

"Sasuke, report." She turned to him and saw his Sharingan eyes look around.

"They're pretty close; about 2 km behind us." She cursed under her breath. Letting her finger go back to the microphone she yelled into it.

"Naruto, using Sage Mode is called _cheating!"_

_"Sakura-chan! Sasuke and Kakashi have the Sharingan, and you have that thing when you can measure time and distance and other stuff, and all I have is Sage Mode!" _He whined.

"Naruto, the point of tag is to find the opposite team. If you already know where they are by other means, that's cheating!"

_"Alright Haruno, it's off." _A growl started low in her throat.

"Don't take that tone with me, Naruto. I know your lying. Use your instincts damn it! You're a _ninja."_ And with that, she let go of her neck and sped off.

The game was the only thing to get her mind off things. Also a great way to pass the time. When Naruto suggested tag, Sakura was quick to select him for her team. Kakashi made up some fake rule detailing how their team would lose because she and Naruto worked together all their lives. So Sakura got Sasuke, and Kakashi got Naruto. A game of rock paper scissors was in order, and since Sakura won, much to Kakashi's chagrin, his team had to be it. It took about two hours of prep throughout Fire Country's forests with the help of dogs, frogs, and hawks.

Kakashi, being the self proclaimed genius he is, noted that Sakura would deny the simple tag that has to be given in order for her and Sasuke to lose. So, he ran home, got a few earpiece sets, and went to the Quartermaster to get this new type of technology. 'Laser Tag the _ninja_ way' he insisted. So Kakashi couldn't resist. When he got back to the gates, he explained how to use them.

"He said that you sign your partners chest plate with your chakra. Foreign chakra will cause a loud sound to go off and a red light will show." He handed them their chest plates and watched as Naruto tried to put it under his shirt.

"No, you can't put it under the shirt. He said that there are still a few quirks to be fixed." Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"What type of quirks?"

"Well, it has to have a clear signal." She pursed her lips.

"So basically, it has to be seen by your opponents." Kakashi scratched his neck.

"Exactly."

"Why would you get it if there were so many problems?" She yelled annoyed.

"He said it was 'Laser Tag the _ninja_ way'." Her eye twitched. He backed up.

"You mean he _insisted._ You're such a woman. If anyone insists something you're caught. Hook, line, and sinker." He pouted.

"Now that's not—"

"I wondered why you accepted gifts from that shady character in Tea so readily. I remember her saying 'I _insist'_."

"Well that's just the only—"

"And when we were in Hoshi, you stepped in for that sick dancer when his partner _insisted_ you looked just like him."

"Okay, good point. But there aren't any—"

"Just shut-up so we can get on with the game." She said with a roll of her eyes. Unzipping her Haruno shirt, she picked up the chest plate. She secured tightly around her chest as she watched Naruto take off his flak jacket and lift his shirt over his head.

"Try not to bask in my abs, Haruno." She gave him a playful punch in said abs as he rubbed the sore spot.

"You do know that you don't have to take off your shirt, right?" He gave her a thumbs up and grinned.

"If I'm lucky, you'll get distracted by this awesome body of mines." She snorted.

"Fat chance." He pouted and started to put his mesh shirt back on.

"Kakashi…your flak jacket…"

"Oh right." He unzipped his flak jacket and secured his chest plate around his middle. Sakura popped her neck.

"Who's it?" Kakashi pondered for a second.

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

"You know it." Both fists were out and Sakura focused on Kakashi's fists.

"Ready?" She nodded.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors—_damn it."_ Sakura's fingers made a 'V' as Kakashi groaned. He shot her a glare, she stuck out her tongue. Her fingers linked behind her back.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road. I want Naruto." Kakashi immediately shook his head.

"That's not fair." Her hands went to her hips.

"How so?" He scratched the back of his head.

"You and Naruto have worked together all your lives. That's an advantage and it's unfair." She clucked her tongue.

"That's so bogus, Kakashi. But I'll give you an A for the effort of making that up on the spot. Me and Sasuke aren't going to get caught anyways. Two hours isn't a long time."

"Ah, but Sakura. You wouldn't want to eat your words, would you?" Her eyes narrowed as his hands went to his pockets.

"Bet?"

"Of course."

"Stakes?"

"Loser…Loser has to give winner a massage."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. My back joints have been killing me and I'm no medic, so…" She huffed and started to stretch.

"Alright then. This'll be a...rivalry, Cap." She mock saluted him as she grabbed Sasuke's arm in a death grip. She reached into her pouch.

"What're you…" Sasuke started.

"Let's get this thing started. Ready…set…Go!" Taking Sasuke's arm, he was flung into the air as her hand flew out of her pocket and an explosion of black smoke engulfed the remaining partakers.

So she cheated a bit at the start. So what? It _was_ 'Laser Tag the _ninja_ way', so they had to expect that. About an hour into the game, she almost got caught up in three explosions and did get caught in seven smoke bombs. Sasuke had his foot in a snare about twice and was set up in a rope trap once.

"How are we doing?" She checked the watch attached to her wrist.

"Just ten minutes left. Are they close?" Sasuke took a full scan around him for any chakra signatures.

"I can't see them." She bit her lip. They're either setting a trap, or they got caught in the one Sasuke set about a kilometer back.

"Clones, Sasuke. Get as far as you can, I'll go the opposite direction."

"If we get too far, they'll disperse Sakura." She shook her head.

"They're going to kick it up. It's the last few minutes. We have to distract them." He let out a sigh. "You'll be safe. Kakashi's going to go for me anyways, not you." She took these competitions very seriously. _Anything_ to get her to win. Kakashi makes out his gloating to be something similar to winning a war.

They paused on a branch as Sakura made a clone of herself. Sasuke did the same. Nodding to each other, they went in opposite directions with their respective clones.

"I need a report." He looked around and shook his head. She checked her watch. Just five minutes to go.

When she heard a 'pop' beside her, she knew Sasuke was far enough. But that also meant that her clone was gone too. She didn't have a Sharingan, and she wasn't a sage. How she was going to check how far they were from them was beyond her.

"Damn it…" She jumped down to the forest floor when she recognized the path she was on. She was dangerously close to Fire Country's border. Crossing the border meant getting into Grass, and she _refused._ Leaning against a tree, she got the canteen that was attached to her hip and took a swig of its water. When she was refreshed, she reattached it to her hip and took a step in the opposite direction, looking to get farther away from the border.

Then her foot caught on something. It was the split second realization that had her eyes widening. Two explosive tags appeared out of nowhere. Using her instincts, she leapt for the nearest tree, but then the explosion went off.

Flying some, fifty feet she would assume, really hurt. She's had experience with two explosive tags before, but this time, no one was here to take the brunt of it. She tried her best not to land on her back and ended up on her rear. At first, she figured that was the best. But now, she knew, that even a collapsed lung would feel better than the pain that was now resonating through her lower body.

"Ouch…" It wasn't that bad…it was just so damn hurtful. It felt like a headache. A sharp type of pulsing feeling in her pelvis made it hard to breath.

Now lying on her back, she let a shaking hand fall to her stomach. Soon, a green glow emanated from her hands and left a warm feeling in her body. Nothing was fractured or broken, it just hurt. Using what chakra she could for the moment, she numbed the pain. She let her head fall to the ground. Her breathing was ragged and with each one, a heavy rise and fall of her chest accompanied it.

Remembering what they were playing, her hand went to her eyes as she checked her wristwatch. Then she smiled.

"Thirty…seconds…you stupid…man." She felt a laugh coming on as static filled her ears.

_"You wouldn't want to eat your words, Sakura." _Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her neck.

"What?" Looking around her, she shot up and checked her wristwatch. Ten seconds. He can't possibly…Then there was a whoosh of air on her face and again, her eyes went wide as she felt a flash of pain throughout her chest.

"Tag, you're it." Her stunned expression looked much like a deer caught in headlights. Half of her expression was due to the fact that she lost with seven seconds to go. She would deny it later, but now, she knew the other half was because Kakashi was just so...damn…close.

"I…" He was hanging upside down on a tree limb. He was so close, she could feel his breath fan across her face. His eyes were creased and she knew he was smiling because she could see the pull of his muscles through his mask.

She should've backed up a minute ago. Maybe even a second ago when her eyes trailed to his mouth. He never did explain that kiss. And, _God_ was it great. She felt her fingers twitch as she started to raise them from their position; dug in the grass. That feeling that was in the pit of her belly was unwelcomed as her hands were level to her lap. Now, her eyes had relaxed and his had open to stare at hers.

_Forget the mask._ She thought as her fingers dropped to the ground. Leaning her face forward, She watched through hooded eyes as his pair started to close and—

"Sakura!"

"Ouch!"

"Oww…"

"You idiot! Why would you—!"

"It was an accident!"

"Ninja are always on alert!"

"I got _surprised_."

"You're not _supposed_ to get surprised! You're the Copy Ninja damn it!"

"You guys…"

"What!" They said in unison. Naruto cowered.

"Sorry…continue." He put his hands up in surrender as Sakura turned back to Kakashi before sighing deeply and placing a healing on hand on her forehead, the other on his.

"No, I'm sorry Naruto. I shouldn't have snapped at you. If this _man_ hadn't head butted me—"

"Accident—"

_"Shut-up._ Anyways, what happened to your shirt?" He looked down at the tattered mess that was his mesh lining. He chuckled nervously and started to scratch the back of his head.

"You see, I uh…got caught in your trap…back there." Her eyes widened.

"Naruto it was in plain view! How did you…" Not plain view _exactly…_just something a ninja should've spotted.

"Well it seems there was another one that was hidden. It kind of…blew me up—No, Sakura it's not bad. Sit back down." Despite his refusal, she continued the walk over to his person. The green glow lit the tips of her fingers as she started to poke and prod his body. When he didn't flinch at any of her intrusions, she let a bit of her chakra seep into his body. Frowning when she found that he was right, she smacked him on the arm.

"Ouch..."

"Next time, use your brains. Or your instincts. You're a ninja for crying out loud!" She started on her walk back to her seat on the ground.

"Hey, you're not doing so hot either, Haruno." He said accusingly. She turned a head to acknowledge him.

"You're not the only one who got blown up, Uzumaki." He rushed to her side.

"Oh that trap near the border? Kakashi set that one. Let me at least carry you back." Her eye twitched as her head turned sharply to his position. Lying against the bark with the book covering his face, it lowered for a second as he gave them an eye crease and a wave.

"You stupid man! That explosion almost broke me! Did you _have _to put two? Are you trying to—"

"What the hell is this?" She heard a voice before she saw a face. Sasuke appeared from the foliage with a burn in the middle of his chest and his shirt in his hand looking _pissed._

"Uh…I don't…actually know, Sasuke. What is it?" Stopping her previous rant, she turned her full attention to Sasuke pointing at his chest. Walking over, she placed a hand over his chest.

"You're _hot._" He smirked. She smacked his burn. He winced. "You baboon. I mean your chest. It's burning." His pissed look returned.

"Yeah, well? I'm halfway across fire country when I hear this explosion. Thinking Naruto got caught in the trap—"

"Hey!"

"—I kept going. Then I feel this searing pain in my chest. I take off the stupid breast plate—"

_"Chest_ plate." Kakashi corrected.

"—I don't _care._ I take it off and see this big burn in the middle of my chest." Examining the burn, her brow furrowed.

"I felt that too. Kakashi tagged me and there was a sharp pain."

"Yeah…that was probably one of the quirks. Chakra burns." Sakura clicked her tongue.

"I can't heal this, Sasuke." When his eyes narrowed, she went on. "Limited knowledge in chakra burns blah, blah, blah. The truth is, I don't have enough chakra to go around. You can wait until I get enough for the both of us, or you can let the injured go first." How his eyes narrowed further, she would never know. "_Or,_ you can let me treat it later with some burn cream and bandages." He sighed.

"Why not now?" A thin, pink eyebrow was raised at him as she lifted her hand to show him her watch.

"We have twenty minutes to get to that meeting, and we're on the edge of Fire Country. _You_ do the math." She saw Kakashi shrug his shoulders.

"Eh, no use in rushing." She shot a glare at him.

"It's those types of attitudes that make people hate you, Kakashi." She said matter-of-factly.

"It's not attractive to talk about yourself like that, Sakura." A pointed look, then his porn appeared from nowhere. She rolled her eyes.

"TonTon said it's important that we're on time." She beckoned to Naruto. He came over and lowered himself to lift her on his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We're not going to be on time, no matter what we do." He saw the glint in her eyes and smirked.

"You wanna bet?" Kakashi snapped his book shut.

"Of course." Sasuke rolled his eyes and Naruto groaned.

"This is unhealthy." They ignored him.

"If I get to Shishou's office faster than you on Naruto's back, I win." Standing up, he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Doesn't matter, easy win. Stakes?"

"Previous bet gets cancelled out." He chuckled.

"If I win, you make me dinner, _and_ give me my massage." She rolled her eyes.

"Alright. The bet is sealed, right?" Kakashi cocked his head.

"Yes…" She gave him a wicked smile as she was set on her feet.

"You know what to do."

"Right!" Kakashi's eyes widened.

"T-that's cheating. He can't be in tailed beast mode!" He picked her back up.

"You said the bet's sealed, Kaka-sensei." She giggled. "Ready, set, go!" Despite himself, he followed her, but all he saw was a yellow flash. Sasuke appearing beside him, he sighed.

"I would've won," He muttered. "But she cheated by using Naruto." Sasuke offered him a consoling look.

"Been there, done that."

* * *

><p>"Ugh! You're <em>such<em> an idiot, Naruto." He pouted as she rolled her eyes.

"Sakura-chan, my foot got stuck!" He whined.

"You were supposed to be holding onto me! I fell flat on my face, you bastard!"

"Oi, Sakura-chan. Words are hurtful." She smacked him in the back of his head.

"Shut-up." She said amused as they walked up the steps of the Hokage Tower.

"When do you think they'll get here?" She tapped her chin in thought as he set her down before the door to the office.

"Oh, I don't know. Kakashi's going to want to exert all his chakra to prove a point. I'd say, three minutes from now."

"But it normally takes about two hours to get to the border, and that's if you're pushing it." She patted his head.

"Well, that's Kakashi." She closed her eyes and gave him an ear to ear grin and she pushed through the doors of her Shishou's office. Winning was sweet. She had a burn to take care of and she'd be damned if she had to massage him.

"Yeah, that is Kakashi." Naruto nudged her and she frowned.

"Naruto, I just said that. Shut-up so I can enjoy this moment." He grabbed her by the arm.

"No, Sakura. I mean, open your eyes, it's Kakashi." She stilled as her eyes shot open. Naruto's hand didn't move. Kakashi turned around and gave her an eye crease. Her back tensed and Naruto started to shake her. She growled.

"How the hell…"

"Well, a magician never reveals his secrets." Her eye twitched.

"You're a ninja, you stupid man." She grumbled, her hands balling into fists.

"Alright, Sakura. You're already late." She started to move from the door, but not before shaking Naruto off. When she got beside Kakashi, she elbowed him in the ribs. "Just a recap. Grass sent over a Peace Treaty detailing the conditions of this cease-fire." Taking a scroll from the far corner of her desk, she tossed it to Kakashi.

"Hm," Sakura tried to get on her tippy toes to see the scroll, but it looked as though Kakashi lifted it higher.

"Kakashi, move it down." She whispered harshly. She heard a light chuckle.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Can you not see?" Never again. Never again will she lose a bet to him. Another elbow in the ribs, but he seemed unaffected.

"Come on, I need to read it." She whined. He turned to her.

"I was being a jerk, here." He put the scroll within her reach only to pull it away again when her hand sought for it.

"You bastard! Let me see!" She jumped for the scroll, only for Kakashi to hold it high over his head.

"You guys are acting childish." Naruto whispered. She shot him a look before trying to jump again. Seriously, he's a jerk.

"Stop tickling me, hentai-sensei!" Each time her hand went up, his free one tickled her armpits. She giggled a bit before narrowing her eyes. He was chuckling with his free arm in the air with the scroll secured in his hand.

"When you—For Kami's sake would you two _stop!"_ The giggle died in her throat and turned to her Shishou with a blush painted on her cheeks. Kakashi's expression was more or less the same. She had one arm up for the scroll, the other over her belly. Kakashi had one hand in her armpit, the other arm far away for her reaching one. Slowly retracting their body parts, he handed Sakura the scroll. She issued a quiet 'Thank-you' to which he replied 'No problem'.

Her eyes started to scan through the paper and she stiffened.

"Shishou, this mission is to Grass…why?" Kakashi noticed her tensed back and looked up at her changed expression.

"If you were _listening_, you would know that the Peace Treaty specifically asked for you, Sakura, to deliver their ninja to the Kannabi Bridge." Kakashi stiffened. He hasn't been there since…his first Jonin mission… "But since your teammates have proven they'll go to all lengths to protect you, I'll let your whole squad go. Tenzou, Neji, Shikamaru, and Ino. You four will be back up. I'm sure you'll need it because it seems Squad 7 always likes to get themselves in trouble." Naruto and Kakashi chuckled nervously.

"This is an exchange. They give you the Peace Treaty, you give them Nao and Katsumi back. It should be clean, and there should be no problems. But knowing you four, I know someone's going to mess up. It's in three days. You leave Thursday morning, get there by Friday afternoon. Pack light, but Grass is near Wind. It's going to be freezing at night. Dismissed." The ninja in the room started to file out. Kakashi was probably a foot out of the door when she spoke.

"Not you four, come back here." Sighing(because he was really looking forward to that massage and dinner), he walked back into the room.

"What's the big idea, baa-chan?" Naruto, currently sporting a bored look on his face; hands behind his head, eyes closed. But his mouth was turning into a frown.

"Don't call me that Naruto." She threatened.

"Sorry, baa-chan." Sighing, Tsunade rubbed two fingers into her temples.

_"Anyway. _Sakura, I know I said a month, but we really need their alliance. We don't want them against us, you see, they have excellent diplomacy. They'll persuade the other small countries like Fang and Claw to join them." Sakura nodded.

"It's okay, Shishou. I was kind of getting tired of sitting at home with _them_, anyways." Kakashi frowned, she stuck out her tongue.

"How did the Therapy session go?" Her eyes widened as Kakashi's narrowed.

"What Therapy session, Shishou?" She bit out. If she didn't get the hint from her forced tone, then the wink should do it.

"The…_Oh._ I mean, the Therapy you were administering to…the, uh—"

"The patient…I had…a few years ago. Remember?" Sasuke and Naruto were looking at them weirdly while Kakashi's eyes were still narrowed.

"Yes, I remember. I'll cancel them for the next few weeks, for your mission, and another assignment I going to send you four on." Naruto groaned.

"Another? We're not even getting paid for this!" Tsunade smiled sweetly.

"This one's a vacation, Naruto." He lit up, Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"What _type_ of vacation, Shishou?"

"Well…"

"It's not a vacation…is it?" Sakura crossed her arms as Tsunade sighed.

"No. But it's like one. It's in the Hidden Hot Springs Village—"

"Is that _really _the name?"

"Yes. The—"

"Naruto, that's the Village Hidan came from." Sakura stated.

"_Comes_ from, Sakura." Kakashi corrected.

"What?" Sakura said as Tsunade covered her face with her hands.

"Oh my Kami." Kakashi went on.

"Comes from, he's not dead yet."

"He might as well be!"

"But he's not, he's immortal."

"Immortal my a—"

"Okay! You are going to the Land of Hot Water. Hidden Hot Springs Village, formally a ninja Village called Yugakure. His daughter, Mei, is supposed to be married in a month. The Daimyo doesn't approve of her groom. He has…different tastes. Anyways, he wants you to appear very high collared. Expensive dresses, high heeled shoes, that type of stuff."

"So…a poser." Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Exactly. But he'll give you everything you need. You're supposed to lure Yuuki, the groom, away from her. Make sure he doesn't go back. You three, he'll give you suits. Very expensive ones. Listen, this is _not_ a ninja mission. You'll get the rest of your debrief when you come back from your current assignment." Playing with the hem of her shirt, Sakura nodded.

"Sounds pretty fun."

"Sakura, you'll need a check-up." Sakura looked up.

"I'll have Ino give me one." Tsunade nodded.

"Dismissed." Sakura high-tailed it out of there as fast as she could power walk.

"Ah, ah, ah, Haruno. You owe me dinner and a movie." She rolled her eyes.

"Massage." He shrugged and they continued to walk.

"Either way. I like Miso soup and eggplant." She smiled at him sweetly.

"Nah, I think I'll be making Tonkatsu." Naruto's eyes opened and he ran to catch up with Sakura.

"Really? Can you put mine in miso ramen?" Well, she was feeling expendable today. Well, not for _him._

"Sure Naruto. I'll even throw in a side of rice balls for Sasuke." She saw him glare and giggled.

"Sakura, I don't really like fried foods." Trying to remind her of his existence, he patted her on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah…you. Sure, I'll make your miso soup with eggplant. But there is going to be Tonkatsu, and you're going to eat it. Then, you get your massage." He sighed. He couldn't really argue with an offer like that.

"Sakura-chan, I _hate_ suits. They're always choking me with their ties and I don't even know how to tie them!" He shuddered. She patted his shoulder.

"How about this. We'll go pick up some suits, I'll teach you how to tie a tie, and I'll wear a fancy dress. We'll have dinner like the high-collars and we'll be like civilians, kay?" She saw a frown on his face.

"Okay…" He grumbled.

"To the tailors!" She shouted. This was going to be _fun._

* * *

><p>"Are you guys serious?" She stepped in front of the TV, and their mouths went dry.<p>

"Uh…"

"What?" She crossed her arms and he almost fainted. A dark blue dress with a plunging neckline. Material that clung in the right places with spaghetti straps tied around her neck. The dress stopped mid-thigh with her back open. Her hair was in that same braid since the Hospital, and she put on a bit of lipstick.

"Sakura-chan, you look," Naruto gulped, "Nice." She smiled brightly at him.

"Thank-you, Naruto. Sasuke, Kakashi, do you have anything to say?" Sasuke was blinking rapidly and Kakashi had his hands tightly grasping his knees. She saw Naruto shove his fist in his mouth every few seconds.

"You look beautiful, Sakura."

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. She rolled her eyes.

"I better. It took me a while to find these shoes. It's time for dinner, anyways." She walked around to the kitchen and started to set the table. "Are you coming?" Remembering themselves, they hurriedly got up and sat themselves at her kitchen table.

Naruto looked down into the plate before him and his mouth started to water.

"Haruno…this looks awesome!" She smiled as she went to her cupboard to get the wine and the glasses. Pouring them each a cup, she took her seat beside Naruto.

"Kakashi sit up. Sasuke get your face out of your hands, and Naruto please, get your elbows off the table." Doing what she said with a groan, she poked her chest out and put her hands together to say Grace. "Alright, eat up. I don't really care how; dressing up was a real hassle. Going the whole nine yards would be murder."

Naruto was the first to dig in. She was picking at her Tonkatsu with lackluster. She wasn't really hungry. She settled on taking her wine glass in her hand, and took a sip. All the while, Kakashi was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"What?"

"Why aren't you eating?" She cut a miniscule slice of her pork cutlet and stuck it into her mouth. She chewed it for a second, then swallowed it. Offering him a bright smile, she went back to her glass of wine.

"I ate." She noticed the drop of his shoulders meaning that he sighed. She rolled her eyes. It was none of his concern whether she ate or not. "Kakashi, stop acting like my mother." He rolled his eyes and she saw him lift a spoon to his mouth, then return it to the plate.

"Sakura-chan look! Sasuke already finished his rice balls!" She giggled, ignoring the look Kakashi was giving her.

"Shut-up, loser." Either way, he cut himself a slice of the pork and stuck it into his mouth.

"Do you like it?" She asked. He nodded.

"It's pretty good." She glared.

"Don't push it. Naruto pass me that wine bottle." She poured herself another glass, forgetting her Tonkatsu. Sasuke and Naruto were oblivious. Now if she could just get Kakashi to stop worrying about her.

"So Haruno," Naruto nudged her in the ribs. "You haven't seen Nao for a while." Raising his eyebrows twice at her, she smacked his arm away.

"And?" He started to giggle mischievously.

"Are you guys gonna like, lock faces?" Kakashi choked. She looked at him like he was stupid.

"No, Naruto. I don't like Nao. I'm _attracted _to him, yes. But that doesn't mean I'll act on my attraction." The table was intently listening to the conversation now. Hey, as long as Kakashi's thoughts were focused elsewhere, she was okay.

"But you kissed him that first time, and you've never even met him before!" She sighed and took another sip of wine.

"He kissed _me_. I just…kissed back—Anyways! The last time I'll see him is in a few days. I'm not looking to get into any serious relationships." Naruto gave her a sympathizing look.

"Because of the Teme, right? I know, he can be a bastard—"

"Oh! Look at the time. I've got to go." She jumped from the table and rushed to her closet. She grabbed a jacket and started to put it on.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi this time. His bowl was empty, he was now sipping his wine.

"My check-up. Ino's house."

"Do you need me to walk you there? It's pretty late." She walked back over to the table and gulped down the last of her wine.

"Someone once told me that I'm a Kunoichi. I'm perfectly capable of walking myself places without getting hurt." He frowned.

"It would be the _nice_ thing to do." He said reliving their conversation.

"I'll be back in like thirty minutes. Don't worry. Naruto, Sasuke, you two are on dish duty." A groan.

"We always get stuck with dish duty." Sasuke scowled. She took her keys from the hook and was walking to the door.

"Bye!" And It was shut, just like that. Maybe he was wrong to worry. She could take care of herself, he knew. But she was just…different since she came back. She couldn't just say she was fine. He's been there before, and he'd be damned if she dealt with it like he did.

"Thirty minutes."

Because he's still suffering from the repercussions.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for doing this, Ino. You're the only one I trust not to turn me in." Sakura shrugged out of her jacket and kicked off her shoes. Plopping down on the couch, she tipped her head back. "Nice couch," She whispered.<p>

"You want wine, Forehead?" She groaned.

"No, no. Just tea. I had enough wine as is tonight." Ino came from her kitchen whistled.

"Sakura! Why do you look like that? I'm totally under dressed!" Sakura scoffed. A skimpy little night dress like that could not be classified as underdressed. Did she mention it was see through?

"We're going on a mission to Yugakure—"

"You mean that Hot Springs Village?"

"Yeah, that one. And we have to be all snotty and rich. I was trying to get them into suits for a nice dinner, but it totally crashed. All I did was show them how to tie their ties and what to do at a table. Besides that, they ate like Pigs. Well…Naruto did." Ino rolled her eyes.

"Stop it Sakura, that's an insult to pigs everywhere." Sakura started to laugh before taking a sip of her tea. "How'd you get away from them?"

"You're giving me a "check-up". Kakashi tried to walk me, but I had to refuse." Ino's eyes had a sparkle in them that Sakura decided she didn't like.

"Kakashi?"

Sakura ran.

"Tell me your secrets!" Ino chased after her. Running through the kitchen and around the couch, throwing pillows when she could, it was pretty hard. She stopped at the couch when she saw she was nowhere in sight.

"Pig, you've gotten fast," She said, slightly out of breath. She found that was her mistake. She was soon tackled to the ground from behind with her hands pinned down and Ino sitting atop her.

"I know. Now tell me! I _promise_ my lips are sealed." Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"I really don't believe you."

"Have I ever lied when it mattered?"

"No…"

"So tell me." Huffing a sigh, she closed her eyes.

"I'm going to forgive Sasuke."

"That's not what we're—Wait what? Why?"

"'Cause, Ino. I don't like holding that grudge with him. I'm sure he had a good reason for—"

"Don't even say it." Another sigh.

"Listen, Pig. When I get old, it's going to be Sasuke and Naruto sitting on my porch with me. You're going to be living with your team and we'll visit each other a lot. I lost him once, and I don't want to lose him this time because of my petty feelings. We'll all be together forever and I don't want that to change." Ino narrowed her eyes.

"Kakashi." She groaned again.

"Pig—"

"Where's Kakashi going to be?" Sakura bit her lip. She was right.

"Kakashi's going to be there too…" She whispered.

"What aren't you telling me, Forehead?" Turning her head, she focused on her forgotten mug.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Can you pass me my tea?" Pinning her hands back down Ino glared.

"Spit it, Billboard Brow!" Sakura frowned.

"I thought you said you wouldn't use that—"

"Spit it!"

"No Pig." She pouted.

"But _Sakura." _

"There's nothing happening."

"You guys spend _so_ much time together. Something happened."

"After Anbu, we became really good friends."

"Have you—" Sakura's eyes widened.

"No! Pig, that's just _nasty."_ Ino rolled her eyes.

"So you're telling me…you guys did _nothing._ Tell me you did nothing at all and we'll get on with this." Sakura groaned. "I knew it! What'd you do?" She leaned forward.

_"God,_ Pig. I can see your boobs! Put those _away."_ Leaning further, Sakura squirmed.

"Tell me!"

"Never!" Breasts dangling right above her face, Sakura felt her resolve slipping.

"Tell **me.**"

_"_Okay! Damn it, just get those things _away from me_!" She sighed. "Before that battle that I got captured, I was scared. I was crying, and, he…uh, he ki—"

"He kissed you? OH MY GOD. Forehead! Do you know how sc—"

"Scandalous? Yes I know. It was _heaven_ though, Pig. Then just today. We were playing tag and he was it. He was upside down on the tree and we were really close and then—"

"He kissed you again? Oh my—"

"Stop interrupting me! No, he didn't kiss me. Naruto came and he…head butted me. On accident though." Ino put her hands on her hips.

"Well, damn Forehead. I didn't think you could land him. Did you guys…" Her eyes widened.

"No! Pig. I'm still a virgin. And plus, I don't even like him. He's hot, yeah. Really defined features. No scars at all. But he's not…Gorgeous. He has a young face…though."

"You saw his face?"

"In captivity, yes. But remember. No feelings. He's not a relationship type of guy anyways." Ino sighed.

"Gray and Pink do look cute together." Sakura groaned.

"Those colors _clash. _Now could you get off of me? That tackle really hurt…" When she was up, she extended a hand to Sakura. Ino went to her closet and Sakura went to the bathroom. When Ino returned, Sakura was in her underwear.

"Nice panties. You should let me borrow them sometime."

"Make sure you wash it before you give it back." Ino nodded.

"When was the last time you showered?" She started to dig through her medicine cabinet.

"I guess when I was comatose, they bathed me…I don't know." Ino pulled out chakra restrainers.

"I'm going to make this as painless as possible, Forehead." Sakura frowned. Taking off the rest of her clothes, she stepped into the tub as Ino turned on the water. She chained the chakra restraints to the floor and snapped Sakura's wrists in them.

"Why do you have these anyway?" She knew Ino was pretty kinky, but how do you use chakra in…She pushed the thought out of her mind.

"I have house calls sometimes." Ino still did work at the Hospital. When days like those just got too much to bear, Sakura just decided that she wanted to be a field medic. She doesn't know how Ino still puts up with it.

When the water got to her face, Ino turned it off.

"If it gets too painful, tell me Sakura. Don't try to take it." She nodded and clenched her teeth as Ino started to pull on her hair to undo the braid.

She was very tender headed now, which meant the slightest touch made her flinch. Now she knew that the chakra restraints were a good idea. If Ino had to touch her scalp, she didn't know what she would do.

"Are you okay so far?" She rubbed a soapy washcloth across her face. She took a small bucket of water and rinsed it. She started to lather across her body.

"Yeah. Can you save my hair for last…please?"

"Sure. Keep your thoughts on other things, Sakura." She gave her a small nod in return and closed her eyes.

Other thoughts. She could do that. The mission, for example. She just knew it was going to be a complete and utter bust. She would prefer not to go, if she could help it. But she couldn't; she was specifically asked for.

Being insane really wasn't her intention. She didn't think anyone who was insane, meant to be. She believed now that insanity came with tragic events that occurred in one's life. Nagato, or Pein for example. His parents were killed on accident before him, by the Leaf's ninja. He awakened his Rinnegan and killed them in return. Yes, it was painful, but he didn't go insane from it.

Then, he found his soon-to-be teammates, Konan and Yahiko. They worked with Jiraiya for a bit, then when he left, created the original Akatsuki. This organization was intended for good, not war. When they were lured into a trap by Hanzo, he had to choose whether to kill Yahiko or Konan.

That's like asking Sakura to kill Naruto or Sasuke. It wasn't plausible.

But when Yahiko killed himself on the kunai he was holding, anyone could say that's when he snapped. Yahiko's dream became his. And he was going to achieve it through ultimate pain. Now Sakura, though feeling a bit under the water these days, was almost positive that she wasn't going to try to become the God of the World.

It was just that when she envisions slitting their throats, the utmost pleasure fills her body. That's why she didn't want to go on the mission. Because if she saw them, she didn't know what she would do.

"Alright Sakura. You're hair is basically hanging by the follicle. I'm going to stimulate them and heal your scalp. When I count to three, dip your hair under the water." Sakura exhaled a breath and nodded. "1…2…3." Like ripping off a Band-Aid, she quickly dunked her hair. Straining against her bonds when Ino's hands went to her scalp, she started to breathe through her nose sharply.

Other thoughts. Yugakure. Hot Springs, relaxation, expensive dresses, Hot Springs...She really couldn't take this anymore. As images started to flood her mind, she snapped.

"Ugh! My God, I want to kill them so bad Ino! _So bad_. My hands soaked with their blood will feel so good. Ino, damn it! I'm going to kill them! If I see them, I'll kill them! I'll slaughter their families and leave the children to watch. I'll _make_ the children watch. God, do you know what they did to me? Do you know what they did to me, Ino!" Everything was lost in her at that point. When she felt the chakra enter her head, she said everything she felt inside. She said everything she felt when they were burning her brains to hell in captivity.

"Sakura. I'm not going to hurt you." Sakura started to wrestle with her restraints, water splashing everywhere. She had to put up with it. She had to get over it.

"Ino, they made me watch my mother die. Over and over and over again. It hurt, so much. I had to watch all of you die! They twisted my memories into sick, wicked, nightmares. I wanted to die. Every day I asked Kami, why won't I die?" She started to laugh. "When I kill them, I'll make sure they'll regret taking me captive." What scared Ino was the fact that she said when. She was almost done, though.

"Hang on a little bit longer Sakura." A worried look was cast her way as the tears started to flow out of her eyes. Most of the water in the tub was on the floor, but she didn't stop thrashing.

"Why didn't you come sooner? Why didn't you come when I asked for you! Why couldn't you guys save me from that hell hole when I was still sane! It's gone now, Ino! It's all gone! Is that what you wanted? I felt pain like no other! I'll never truly _feel_ anything until they're all dead!" She took her hands from under the water and placed it on her chest. She wanted to calm her heartbeat, it was beating erratically fast. Sakura started to breathe slower but the tears didn't stop.

She didn't know if it was safe yet, but she took her risks. She took of the restraints on her wrists, and helped Sakura into a towel. Nothing was said as she led her to the bedroom and let her borrow some clothes. Ino silently waited by the door, letting everything that she said sink in.

It was a few minutes later that she walked in. Sakura was in a tank top and a pair of her shorts. She styled her hair in a ponytail and let her bangs fall over her eyebrows with a few strands framing her face. Walking back out of the room for a second, she brought back in an IV drip.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she sat on the bed. Carefully injecting the needle in her arm, she put some tape around it.

"I'm letting you sleep. You deserve it." Sakura's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head.

"I can't Ino, you know I can't." There was a faint smile that appeared on Ino's face.

"I've been doing some research. If I put the right amount of morphine in with genjutsu, you'll sleep for eight hours." Sakura smiled back.

"I love you, Pig."

"I know." Sakura got herself into a comfortable position on the king sized bed. Making sure the IV drip would rip out of her skin, she laid on her back. "Sakura?" Ino got into the bed beside her.

"Yes?" The effects of the morphine already working its way through her system, Ino took this time to cast her genjutsu. She had exactly ten seconds before Sakura lost consciousness.

"What you said…do you mean it?" Her eyes fought to stay open, but she soon gave in. Four seconds left.

"It's what I feel…Ino…" She wouldn't let Sakura shoulder the burden alone, but Sakura would make sure it was only hers. For all of this to be going on inside of her, and for her to stay that strong on the outside, Sakura really was selfless.

Pain, she said. She felt so much of it. And yet it was hurting Ino all the same to watch her go through it alone.

* * *

><p>"Kakashi, you've been on the same page for an hour." Sighing, he snapped his book shut and placed it on the table.<p>

"She said she'd be back in thirty minutes. It's been two hours." Naruto turned his attention from the movie to look at him.

"She's probably just going to spend the night at Ino's…it's no biggie." Finally turning his attention to the TV, he felt he should stop worrying. It _was_ a pretty good movie, and she _can_ take care of herself.

Sakura was a genius at time. Knowing her, she would calculate how long a normal check-up would take, then add Ino into the equation.

Pushing it would do him no good. But still…Why'd she lie to him?

* * *

><p><em>Finished with Chpt. 9! Thanks for all the support. Review...I would appreciate it!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	10. Reunions

_Clash Chpt 10…Enjoy!_

**Reunions**

* * *

><p>Kakashi stared at the page he was on. This book really wasn't doing anything for his thoughts lately and he didn't know how much longer he could fake it.<p>

The first time she skipped out on them, she came in with same clothes she left in. She apologized, and then claimed that they were spending too much time with her, in which she kicked them all out. He hasn't seen her for two days. It wasn't even that he hasn't tried to find her, either.

Trying to get away from it was pointless. They were going to have to talk about it sooner or later, and he would rather her not bring it up. She had fists, and they packed a punch.

He sighed.

He kissed her once. It wasn't wrong, per say. It was…_Maybe_ it was wrong. She was young. Though it never stopped him before, she had a heart. And he was jaded. She was full of spirit and he…he had a past. He meant to bring it up a long time ago…He could say he forgot. Yeah, that was good enough. Then they played extreme tag and he lost himself…again. But she's to blame too, right?

Another sigh.

He didn't like her. He wasn't even sure if it could be called an attraction. She had a pretty face, but not the type he liked. And her body…well, he's seen better. Her butt is really the only reward he gets for coming in behind her. They've played this game many times before. It's just that now, it's gotten dangerous.

He's acting like a girl. Thinking about feelings is not something men do, and look at him. He's breaking one of the forbidden rules…_again. _

But seriously, her personality is not one most men look for in a woman. Sakura's pretty…overbearing. And then she's rude, and she has a horrible attitude to boot. She likes to lead. And that's a pretty big turn-off to him.

Yeah. He's certainly not falling anytime soon.

He snapped his book shut and placed it on the table. "Sakura. We need to talk." He patted her head lightly and his eyes widened when a fist shot up and punched him in the nose. Hard.

"Calm down," Feeling a searing pain throbbing throughout his nose, he fell back onto the bed. It wasn't long before he felt a pillow smack him across the face. "Sakura, I said calm down." His voice was muffled by said pillow she tried to suffocate him with. It was a pretty big pillow.

"Shut-up! Why are you here? How'd you get in? How'd you even know I was here? Are you _stalking _me?" He gagged as she punched him in the gut.

"Sakura," She elbowed him in the knee.

"You have thirty seconds of air left so you better fess up!" It was these types of things that threw her off the 'Attractive' radar. Trying to suffocate him definitely wasn't a turn-on, nor was it appealing. It was actually another big turn-off, if anything. Okay, so maybe he did sneak into Ino's house at eight in the morning, and maybe he did get into bed beside her and start to, erm, "read". But that gave her no reason to try to murder him.

Unable to sigh, or breathe for that matter…actually he couldn't really do anything. He was getting dizzy, and that was pretty hard seeing that he was lying down.

"I'm…sorry…" She took the pillow off of his face, and it was in that second that he took a deep breath. It left him with a headache, but he wasn't dead…yet.

"Kakashi, why are you here? You know better than to sneak up on me when I'm sleeping."

"Uh, no I don't." His hand came to rest on his eyes. Willing the headache to go away, along with the throbbing pain in his nose, he placed the other hand over his eyes.

"Stop playing games, I'll hurt you." Opening an eye, he peered out between his fingers to look at her. He didn't really see what she was wearing yet, and that was something that he should've noticed hours ago. Not that he was watching her in her sleep; another forbidden rule. And it wasn't attraction that he had to know what she was wearing, it was just curiosity.

He looked her up and down. She was kneeling in between his bent legs looking at him. She was in a red lace bra, his favorite color, and floral lace boy shorts on. Also red, also his favorite. It was pretty nice, he guessed. The red was nice on her creamy skin. And if she just turned around, he could admire how the curve of her buttocks peeked out from just below the lace. Or, he could stare at her mussed up appearance; lips parted slightly and her hair a bit messy.

But the boy shorts pleased him more.

"Well?" Bringing his attention back to her face she leaned forward.

"You broke my nose." Her eyes widened and she leaned forward.

"Well, you shouldn't have…just, here…" Her elbows were digging into his gut and her breasts were right above his chin. She moved his hand from his nose and a green palm replaced it.

"Sakura—Oh God!"

"Well, this is…embarrassing." He chuckled.

And embarrassing it was. He forgot it was Ino's house. Also forgetting this was Ino's bedroom. So it was common for her to walk in. It's very hard for a bystander to believe that she was just trying to fix his nose when she was almost naked and had a very messy appearance. And their postion said one word: Sex.

"I knew it!" Scrambling off of the bed, Sakura went to follow a very red Ino. Never moving his hand from his eyes, he frowned in thought.

He still had a broken nose.

Taking a short jog through the hallway, Sakura found Ino in the kitchen.

"Pig. Pig wait." Sakura moved to stand behind her as Ino started to put plates away.

"I knew it! You lied to me, and what were you doing in my _bed?_" A hurt expression was plastered all over her face. She guided her to sit down at the kitchen table.

"Listen. He came into your room sometime while I was sleeping. He touched my head—I know. I'm still just a tad bit sensitive." She pinched her fingers in emphasis. "Then I woke up. I broke his nose, and I…heh…I, uh…heh…actually tried to suffocate him." She said with a chuckle. Ino started to frown. "Then he apologized, and I wanted answers, and I really wasn't paying attention to our positions." Sakura said sincerely. Ino huffed a sigh.

"Alright, fine. But we're going to finish this later," Sakura rolled her eyes. "Mainly because the mission starts at 10, and it's 10:30." Then they widened. Pushing the chair back she ran back to Ino's room to find Kakashi was gone. She assured herself she wasn't disappointed. Grabbing the clothes she wore yesterday from the chair, she quickly slipped them on and ran to the door.

"Oh wait," She said with one foot in a sandal. Walking back over to the kitchen, she gave Ino a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Ino. But aren't you going on the mission, too?" She was grinning from ear to ear.

"My Squad's back-up. We're trailing you guys. I've got time!" She shouted from the kitchen as Sakura hopped back to the door and slipped on her other sandal.

She turned the knob and opened the door, closing it behind her. She stood there briefly, realizing what this three day mission meant.

That was the best sleep she was going to get for days.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand <em>why<em> he's late; I just saw him like twenty minutes ago." Throwing another rock from her pile, she frowned.

"Someone has to go get him. Everyone's already here and we have to get going if we want to move some distance before the cold sets in." Naruto shifted his pack and threw his next rock.

"Well, I'm not doing it." Sasuke said as he glared up at them on top of the gates. A rock just hit his head, and he wasn't too happy about it. Sakura smiled back.

"Sakura, would you?" She patted his shoulder.

"I'd rather not, actually." Naruto sighed. Then there was a pop.

"Sorry everyone, I—"

"Save it, old man." She said with a glare. "Let's get moving. I want this mission done with as soon as possible." Hitching her pack on her shoulders, she jumped onto the dirt path. The rest of them soon followed.

When they transitioned to the trees, Kakashi caught up with her.

"Do you want to race?"

"I really don't."

"A bet to sweeten up the deal, then."

"Still not interested."

"Money's on the table,"

"Mhm-Mhm."

"A friendly competition?" He was pulling for straws, and he could see she wasn't taking the bait.

"I'm actually not in the mood for anything, Kakashi. I just want to get to Grass, and come back."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you done?" Falling back, he felt disappointed. That was pretty damn hard seeing he's a pessimist. Sakura never backs down from any of his bets or "Friendly competitions". To see that she's doing so now meant something was wrong. Maybe it was that they were going to Grass again. And if he remembered correctly, whenever Sakura and Kakashi were in Grass, nothing good ever happened. For example, there was the first time when he misplaced their mission scroll and got captured. Then there was their mission to capture Nao, and Sakura got captured instead. And then there was the mission when they tried to bring her back, and almost got her killed.

He can almost forgive her for the animosity she has with the Country.

A frown appeared on his face when he saw Nao catch up with Sakura and she smiled. And of course, seeing Katsumi in the air on Sasuke's hawk. He didn't know why he frowned at that, both of them, truth be told. First of all, Katsumi's a ninja. She can run just like the rest of them. But then again, it could be for that reason that they drugged her up to render her unconscious for the mission. Second of all, they should be making Nao out to be the enemy. Even though they're nowhere near Grass or the Kannabi Bridge, they could be watching.

Who is he kidding?

The Leaf has patrols set up all across the Border. Unless something is going on that they don't know about, ninja that have three strands of grass marked on their forehead protectors weren't getting anywhere near Konoha, or even Fire Country for that matter.

"They're going to be locking faces soon,"

"No they're not, Sakura's not like that."

"Says you, you barely kissed her."

"I kissed her plenty of times."

"Yeah right. Either way, she kissed him on the last mission. They like each other, they'll do it again."

"You wanna bet?"

"Hell yeah. Kakashi-sensei, you wanna bet too?" He frowned. He was never one to turn a bet down himself, but this had disaster written all over it.

"I think I'll pass."

"I _insist._"

"How much are we talking here?"

* * *

><p>"Just because I didn't make a bet with your sorry ass, doesn't mean you go around making stupid ones with those idiots!" He sighed. Listening to his instincts, or even his gut, was his specialty. It was always right. But Sakura turned him down on the first bet, and Naruto <em>did<em> insist…what was there to lose?

A few teeth in the coming future, he'd bet.

In the end, Sasuke ended up paying them both two hundred ryo. It was all good, until Sakura turned and saw them passing money. He was ratted out in a second. Naruto better hope he doesn't run into him in a dark alley. There'll be hell to pay.

"That wasn't it." Her eyes shone with disbelief. She scoffed.

"Oh so, lemme guess. Naruto _insisted_ you take on that bet." He looked down. She punched him in the arm.

"Can't you exhibit _some_ self-control, you bastard!" And she stalked off. Back to Nao he'd bet…well no. Because that's what got him in this fix in the first place. So _maybe_ he should lay off the unhealthy betting for a bit. At least with Sasuke and Naruto. Those bets get him in trouble. He took the canteen of water that was passed his way. He took a swig as he watched her retreating behind.

He really had to get a new hobby. This one was getting old _fast._

"Are you sure you're okay, Sakura?" He touched her hand lightly. She blushed and bit her lip.

"Yeah. I've uh, been getting some help from a friend. I'm just…scared."

"The war's coming. I'm against you. What's not to be scared of?" Then she smiled that smile for him. The one that made her feel good again.

"No I mean…I'm going to tell you this, and you can't breathe a word." He nodded.

"I won't." She exhaled and closed her eyes.

"It's not that I'm scared, really. It's my subconscious. I've already been through one war, so I think I've passed the level of 'Rookie'." He laughed.

"Yeah well, I was in that invasion on the Leaf, a few years back. It may not be called war, but I'm sure it counts as some experience. But your subconscious…" Sighing, she explained.

"You know, your dreams and stuff. In captivity, they uh—"

"It's alright."

"Don't get me wrong. I want revenge so much. But Shishou said Grass has to be on our side so this Peace Treaty is real important." He was listening intently. Another sigh. "I wanted to avoid doing this exchange as much as possible because I'm very impulsive. I've come to terms with that. But even I have no idea what I'm going to do." She leant on the tree.

"It doesn't matter. No one is going to punish you for mental problems, so…" She smiled. That was someone she needed. To lift her up when she was down. It was too bad he was going back to Grass; if he stayed in Konoha a bit longer, she's sure they could've worked. So she kissed him. Because it felt right to do so at that moment. And when he pushed her a little further against the tree, she figured it didn't feel like a topic they'd have to discuss later, either. That was always a plus.

"So…does Sasuke give us more money or what?" A scowl appeared on Kakashi's face this time.

"Do what you want, I'm not getting involved. You two are rats." He pushed off the tree he was leaning on and walked to the middle of the group.

"Listen up. We've got about two more hours of straight running before we make camp." He didn't like the pace they were on at _all._ It's supposed to take about four hours to get to grass, then three to get to the Kannabi Bridge. They've been on a slow jog for seven hours now, and it's going to get dark soon. They haven't even passed the border yet. But of course, they couldn't make camp in Grass; that was just asking for assassination. He wasn't even sure if they could make it _near_ the border before night fell. Sighing, he picked his pack up from its place by the tree and started for the trees.

"So…are they together now, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he jumped off a branch.

"I don't care." He growled.

"Are you okay?"

"Peachy." Frowning, Naruto fell back. He wasn't upset. Not because she was kissing Nao, who she barely knew, and especially not because he was attracted. No. Her personality is not something he's looking for. Actually, he was very un-attracted. He was upset, because he knew Sakura was going to go do something stupid for Nao.

* * *

><p>"Here. We make camp here. Tenzou,"<p>

"I hate this job." He replied as he made a hand seal. A medium-sized, one floor cabin was made.

"Everyone," Walking in, Kakashi took off his sandals and went straight for the bench in the main room.

"Where do I put her?" Dropping his pack on the floor, he turned to Sasuke.

"Right in that corner. We'll take turns on watch in groups of two," He said, put two fingers up in emphasis. "Sakura, I need you to sedate her again, just in case. Nao, you'll be with Katsumi." It was then that a horrible scowl appeared on Sakura's face. He wanted to smile in triumph, but he believed very adamantly he needed his limbs to continue being a Shinobi.

"Yamato-sensei, what's the big idea?" After the cat got out of the bag, it was only Naruto who continued to call him Yamato. It was also only Naruto who still kept the formalities on the ends of their names. Maybe it was respectful, or maybe change was too complicated. Though Naruto has grown tremendously, anyone and everyone who ever knew him would choose the latter.

"What?" Tenzou replied, also taking off his sandals and placing his pack against the wall.

"There's only one room!" Naruto frowned.

"So?" Annoyed, he tried to walk off to get out of the conversation. Provided there was only so much room in the cabin, he didn't get too far before Naruto followed him.

"Teme snores! I don't want to hear that all night!" A glare from said 'Bastard' did nothing to stop Naruto's rant.

"That's a lot of work, Naruto. You're lucky you even get this luxury! We could be roughing it in the cold tonight!" Naruto, the frown still on his face, stomped off to claim his corner in the room. Far away from Sasuke, was the objective. "I'm so unappreciated." Tenzou muttered as he followed him and claimed his spot.

Kakashi sighed. He had such drama queens with him. Speaking of drama queens, there was a matter he had to attend to before it got out of hand.

"Are you done, Sakura?" He said, leaning on the doorjamb facing the open space that came before the room. Sakura injected something into Katsumi's arm and then turned, scowl still on her face.

"Tell me something, Kakashi." She started while putting the syringe in her pack and then standing up.

"Here we go," He whispered as she started to walk towards him.

"Why can't Nao stay in the room with the rest of us? I mean, he's our ally, isn't he?" He briefly grasped the bridge of his noise before pushing himself off the wall to meet her halfway. He wouldn't like it if there was no escape from her wrath. Putting distance between the wall and Sakura was done at a means to save Tenzou chakra for repair. Not because he was scared, no.

"Because Sakura." Closing the steps between them, a menacing glare lit her eyes. Hopefully, no one would be around to see him get bullied by a woman. Bullying. Also very unattractive.

"Because _what._" She growled. He sighed. From the tone of her voice, he knew it was going to end badly.

"You're too caught up already Sakura. He's a spy. He has a job to do in Grass, and I have a feeling that if you spend the night in the same room as him, even if you're not remotely close, you're not going to want him to go back." Her eyebrows furrowed as she poked him in the chest.

"What do you think you're going to accomplish, Kakashi? Your motives are getting a little fuzzy to me, by the way. Sneaking into bed with me at odd hours in the morning—"

"Well, with the way you're saying it, you make it seem as if I was wrong…"

"You _are_ wrong!" He quickly looked around. They were drawing attention. He lowered his voice to try to get her to do the same.

"Nobody has seen you for two days; I apologize if I was worried." He whispered.

"Apology not accepted!" She whispered back harshly. At least it worked. "That still doesn't explain why you got into bed with me, or why you bet on me, or even why you kissed me!" He winced. It was going to come to that sooner or later. But he hadn't thought this soon. Lightly grabbing her upper arm, he pulled her into a corner. She wasn't too happy about it, though.

"Listen, Sakura. The kiss was _pretty_ much about the heat of the moment. Nothing more. The bet was an accident and the bed…I'm not exactly sure why I did it either." Sakura blew the bangs out of her face and extended a hand to Kakashi.

"Look. We've been a little hostile towards each other—"

"_You've_ been hostile to _me."_ Kakashi pointed out.

"Either way, I'm calling a cease-fire. I still dislike you, but at least we're friends again. Besides, we have to share watch. Killing each other would do no good, would it?" A dumbfounded look was frozen on Kakashi's face as he briefly shook the hand and she walked away. He can't remember what brought on her hostility towards him, or if it was just 'That Time of the Month'. Her mood-swings were abnormal today. Luckily, she called a cease-fire. It wouldn't do him good to be on Sakura's bad side, _and_ be on watch with her in the middle of the night. With no witnesses. Nope. Wouldn't do him good _at all._

"I'm sorry, Nao. Maybe I've been moving a bit too fast." She walked over to his seat against the wall.

"What do you mean?" She bit her lip.

"I'll never see you again." He smiled.

"You thought the same last time, and here you are." Last time. The night she was captured. When she was so terrified because she thought she was going to die and actually got captured instead. The night she kissed Nao. The night...she kissed Kakashi…Despite her inner turmoil, she smiled back.

"You know what I mean?" He nodded.

"One last kiss, then." She moved in, and placed a kiss on his cheek. Kakashi was right. She was getting too caught up with a guy she barely knew. Nao, was his name. And he was earth, just like her. He didn't like Tempura and he was a couple of years older than her. Sadly, that's all she knew. Getting up, she gave him a brief smile and went into the room.

And a relationship, even a short one, could not live on just that.

* * *

><p>"Got any three's?"<p>

"No, Go Fish."

"…I think you're cheating."

"How could I be?"

"Well, you've got about five sets of four in front of you, and I basically have the rest of the ocean in my hands."

"I'm a good player, Sakura-chan."

"This is a game of chance, not strategy. Let me see your hand."

"N-no! That's cheating!" Sighing, she placed her hand of forty-three cards in front of her. She was almost positive that Naruto hasn't been giving her the cards she's asked for. They've been playing for about an hour now, and this was a game of chance. She's pretty sure she would've gotten at least one set of four by now. Especially since they were well on their way into the second deck.

"Well, anyways. Your watch is over. Go wake up Sasuke." Naruto frowned.

"Haruno, this is the third watch you've had. Get some sleep already." She frowned right back.

"Quit bugging me, Uzumaki." He rolled his eyes, but still walked back to the room. It was two short minutes later that an unkempt Sasuke walked out. Taking a seat across from her, he yawned.

"Naruto cheated again?" He said, observing the cards that were laid out.

"Yeah. He still thinks you don't _have_ to give away any cards that were asked for, so…" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are _you_ going to tell him the rules?" Sighing, she figured it was best Naruto play by his handbook rather than go on a rampage upon finding out about the real rules. Like the last time they played a game, they had to beat the real rules into him. Playing red light green light was never the same again.

"What do you want to do, then?" She turned her body so she could lean on the wall. She secured her bedroll around her shoulders and started to scrape little bits and pieces of the wood floor off with her nails.

"Can you…check my eyes?" She scoffed.

"I thought you said you'll never go blind," He shrugged.

"Madara told me about the 'Eternal Mangekyo', but it was a load of bullshit. I'm going blind." She let out a soft chuckle. Reaching her hands to his face, he activated his Sharingan as her chakra poured through his eyes.

"I don't know. I think I should just let you go blind for all the shit you put us through." He frowned. "But, I would like to know more about the bloodline from the original family, so you're in luck." Her hands went back to the floor.

"You can't do it now?" Her lip snarled.

"This is not the proper environment. I don't have any idea what I'm doing or how to stop the process. Hopefully, you don't go blind in the next few days." He rolled his eyes. She didn't know that was possible with the Sharingan activated.

"What else are we going to do then?" She raised a finger.

"First off, can you deactivate that?" He frowned.

"Why?"

"I feel like you have x-ray glasses."

"My brother did it all the time, no one batted an eyelash."

"Did I date your brother?" He was taken aback by the question.

"I don't know, did you? You told me about your vivid fantasies with a dead man, Sakura. That was pretty creepy." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Sasuke. Your brother was really gorgeous. If he was alive right now, I would jump—"

"Sakura, that's just…stop. Anyways, what does x-ray vision have to do with us dating?" She sighed.

"You can look under my clothes, you perv. I wouldn't have to worry about that with him." He frowned. "Besides, dating each other is the only reason why you have the balls to do it. No one else sure as hell does." He snorted.

"If only," Her head whipped around to face his.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When you grew breasts, no matter how small they were, and they're _small,_" She glared. "You decided you weren't going to take off your clothes. Ever. You weren't naked, not once, when you were with me." He pointed out. Another roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, I was." He narrowed his eyes. "That one time…when uh, well we…Maybe I wasn't completely naked. But I was half naked, if that counts."

"Well it doesn't. It's not fair when a man can't see his own girlfriend's "assets"." He said while putting his fingers up in quotes.

"It's not like you were on show and tell either," She muttered. His eyes widened.

"You saw me naked, almost every day! I even slept naked, yet you insisted on keeping your clothes on. You've touched my penis more times than I can count on my hands and toes!" He whispered. She held on to her bedroll tighter.

"I was your _girlfriend!_ What else am I supposed to do?" He frowned.

"Kiss me, maybe? Because you barely did that. Actually, now that I think about it, basically all you ever did _always_ had something to do with _my_ stuff." Her eye twitched.

"You asked me to! And you act like you had a problem with it! Now that _I_ think about it, I remember _always _coming home to a blue balled Sasuke! What am I supposed to do with _that?_" He sighed.

"You still never kissed me." She pouted.

"Liar," He raised an eyebrow.

"Just because I kissed you, doesn't mean that you kissed me. But whatever. The relationship was a bust, anyways." He tilted his head back against the wall. Her eyes widened and she pointed a finger at him.

"Only because _you_ made it that way, you bastard!" Placing his hand on his eyes, he shook his head.

"I remember you kissing me a lot of times now, thanks for clearing that up." She smacked his arm.

"Don't try to get out of this now. TenTen? Really? Of all people. I would've expected Ino, but _her?_ The bit—"

"She came to me, Sakura." She narrowed her eyes as her lips squeezed shut.

"So, you're saying, if some whore just comes to you off of the street, you'll just _give_ them sex. It makes sense to me now. I mean, why wouldn't it? Your name _is_ Uchiha Sasuke: the "Ladies" man." She said with quotes. He frowned.

"No, Sakura. I was just upset—"

"You were upset…twice." Raising the number two as both her eyebrows lifted. He sighed.

"It's a long story. And its history right? I know you don't want to hear it, and I'd rather not say it." He shrugged.

"I'm listening." Leaning against the wall, she turned her head to his with narrowed eyes. Another sigh.

"She came to me that morning, earlier than you did. I told her what happened, and she said that she could make me feel better, and I said 'I'm fine', and then…you know. Sex happened." Her lips were fashioned in a straight line.

"So, even though you denied her, you still had sex. Before you broke up with me." He frowned.

"Technically, we didn't break up."

"What?" She said with narrowed eyes.

"We never broke up. Yes, I had sex with her, but you never broke up with me. And I see you're kissing other guys, so…I think we're pretty even." Her eyes widened.

"I'm positive you knew that what you did _justified_ the means for a break-up." He just shrugged.

"Yeah, but you never did it."

"Just shut-up." That was the end of the conversation she supposed. He wasn't saying anything and she didn't want him to. It was nice to have clarity after she's gotten over the emotional part of it, but it didn't feel as good as it should've. Sasuke knew how she felt about TenTen. So why…Maybe that's just something she'll never know. And she's happy with keeping that a mystery. If it got out that Sasuke betrayed her purposely, then, well…

She was left with her thoughts for a while, and she never did like that these days. It was only when she saw Sasuke turn and look at her was she snapped out of them.

"What now?"

"It's just…have you ever thought about it? About us, I mean." She bit her lip.

"Plenty of times, Sasuke. I thought about where I would've been if it all had ended differently. Not like this. Not stronger." He rubbed a hand down his face. Then, he lowered himself into her lap.

"W-what are you doing?" She said with her eyes searching his.

"Let me pretend tonight, okay?" She relaxed. Smiling, she started to stroke her fingers through his dark blue hair.

"You're human, Sasuke."

"I know."

* * *

><p>"Wake up."<p>

"Hm?"

"Get up."

"Hm."

"Up!"

"Damn it, Sakura!"

"You wouldn't get up…"

"Did you have to slap me?"

"Well, what did you want me to do? Tickle you?" Rolling his eyes, he raised himself from her lap. He stretched, then stood.

"Who's next?" She wrapped her bedroll tighter around herself, then leaned against the wall.

"Kakashi," He looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Sakura, are you alright?" She nodded.

"It's just gotten a bit colder. I'm okay." She waved him off and he walked back to the room. If it had just gotten a _bit_ colder, she would've been alright. But the temperatures basically dropped and she didn't know how he wasn't affected by it. She saw Kakashi come out. "Hey, uh…Could you get my jacket from my pack?" Turning back around, he did as told. It was only a few seconds later that he returned with her black overcoat. Quickly taking off her bedroll, she put her arms through her jacket, then put it back around her shoulders.

Kakashi took a seat beside her with his hands propped up behind his head and his eyes closed.

"What, no book?"

"You'd only get annoyed." He was right. Then she looked to what he was wearing. Not that she had to know what he was wearing, it was just that he was in his sleeveless Anbu top, and it was freezing.

"You're not cold?" He opened his eyes then.

"You are?" She nodded.

"Pretty much." She was surprised when he reached an arm around her and pulled her closer. Her outfit choice was not built for the cold. Yet here he was, sleeveless and not even shivering.

"Thanks to you, I had to go to the Hospital...for a broken nose." She narrowed her eyes.

"Well, you left." She saw him smile.

"I was embarrassed. I couldn't stay."

"Ha, Ha. You weren't the one to get chewed out by a Pig." He turned to face her.

"What was that about, anyways?" She shrugged.

"She thinks we have something going on, since we're always spending time with each other." He snorted.

"You? _I_ have something going on with…_you?_" She glared.

"It should be the other way around, Baka-sensei. No one can _really_ like you." His eyes narrowed.

"Me? Sakura, I'm very respected." She rolled her eyes.

"Respect doesn't equal friendship," She said in a sing-song voice.

"Well make sure Ino knows I'm not into you. Wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea." Her head jerked back.

"I'll make sure she knows _I'm_ not into _you_ first. You are so unattractive." His eyebrows were furrowed.

"You're not doing so hot in the 'Attractive' column, yourself." She gasped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you tried to kill me. _Twice!"_ She tilted her head into the air.

"You brought both times upon yourself. Besides, what type of freak sneaks into someone else's house and just watches them sleep?"

"I'm a freak? Sakura, you wear glasses. What type of ninja doesn't have perfect vision?" Turning away from him, she frowned.

"That's not the point. Anyways, if I'm so 'Unattractive', why'd you kiss me?" Now that was catching him off guard.

"It was the only thing to keep you from bawling like a baby." He muttered.

"The second time?" His eye narrowed.

"Once, Sakura. I only kissed you once. It wasn't that good either," He was lying to himself. But he couldn't help it. The look on her face was too rewarding.

"Oh really? You're not doing so well in that department either, Kakashi." She frowned. That was a lie. That kiss was perfect.

"Sakura, I've kissed women plenty of times. That was probably the best kiss you'll ever get in a lifetime." Very true. But she wouldn't let him know that.

"Nao and Sasuke seem to believe I kiss pretty damn good. And Ren seems to like them all the—"

"Wait, what? Ren? You kissed Ren?" When did she have the time to do that?

"And I seem to remember a certain someone claiming my lips to be enticing!" He still couldn't wrap his mind around the whole 'Ren' thing. He shook his head.

"Yeah well, they're not that great."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm s—" From her sitting position wrapped around his arms, she turned and pressed her lips to his masked ones. It was a few seconds later that she released him.

"They're still not that great?" Shaking his head quickly, he composed himself.

"Nope."

"Yeah, whatever." He couldn't lie. She _was_ pretty damn good. And he felt that even through the mask. But he had to get more.

"Try this on for size," Quickly pulling his mask down, he tilted her chin upwards and pressed his mouths to hers. He started to nip at her lower lip before she opened her mouth. She placed a hand on his chest and the other around his neck. Turning her body to get better access, his fingers started to trail up her skirt. A warm feeling grew in the pit of her belly when he hooked his thumb into her underwear. She slid her hand under his shirt and he froze while kissing her neck. Slowly backing away, he didn't remove the arm from around her shoulders.

She blinked once, then snapped out of it. When he looked back to her, she shook her head.

"You're still unattractive." She nodded.

"Yeah, you too." They fell into an awkward silence. What the hell just happened? Her eyes kept turning towards his, only to find they were closed.

"Are you warm now?" She had goosebumps, but they weren't from the chill of the night.

"Why would I be?" He shrugged.

"I'm sure I just turned the heat up." Then he smirked and she punched his arm. Fiddling with the edges of her skirt, she once more turned to him.

"You're still unattractive." He nodded.

"Yeah, you too." Turning back to her skirt, she bit her lip.

"So…one more kiss?"

"Just one more…"

* * *

><p>"Do you know what's going on with them?"<p>

"What do you mean?"

"Like, every time their eyes meet, Sakura flicks him off."

"Probably a bet that she lost." Sasuke offered.

"Probably." Naruto jogged ahead to catch up to Sakura. Maybe it was a bad idea, seeing she's been in a bitchy mood all day. It couldn't have been something he did; he didn't talk to her all morning. And she wasn't mad about losing Go Fish last night. So it had to be the person on the last watch with her. And that was…Kakashi.

Of course it was.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" He saw her place a hand over her eyes and sigh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a rough night." Then she gave him a smile. Sincere enough. He stopped and let her continue to walk. He waited for Kakashi to walk up to where he was, and when he did, he gave him an odd stare.

"What?" He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What'd you do?" Kakashi not knowing what he was talking about narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean, what did I do?" Naruto pursed his lips.

"Sakura said she had a 'Rough Night'. You were the last person on watch with her. So what'd you do?" Tilting his head upwards in remembrance, he walked a bit faster. "Sensei, this isn't over!" He then waited for Sasuke to catch up with him.

"What did you find out?" Naruto folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Sakura-chan said she had a rough night. So I asked Kakashi what he did. He didn't know at first, then I told him what Sakura said, and he walked faster and ignored me." Sasuke's eyes widened. "Are they together or something? Sakura's been confusing me lately. I thought you guys were going to get married, then it was Kakashi she was spending nights with, then it was Nao, and now it's Kakashi again." Sasuke's eye twitched as he watched Kakashi catch up with Sakura. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder put she smacked it off and punched him in the gut. Then she walked off.

"If they were, it would explain a lot of things, Dobe." Naruto nodded.

He ran a hand through his hair.

"Sakura, you kissed me first, how could you possibly be the one who's mad?" Jogging a bit to catch up with her, she glared.

"You could've stopped me!" He narrowed his eyes.

"If I would've pushed you off me, we would've been in the same position we're in now." She stopped and turned to face him.

"I don't like you. You don't like me. So tell me how we ended up all over each other this morning?" He opened his mouth, then closed it. He really didn't have an explanation to that. Or to the make-out session they had. He just had to prove that they had no feelings after kissing each other. She continued to walk. He didn't know why she was so upset. If she was any other woman, she would be happy that he kissed her.

But that's the point isn't it. Sakura isn't any other woman.

"Look, Sakura. I'm sorry for whatever I did to offend you. Remember, last night? We were just proving a point. So here," He extended a hand out to her that she stared at. "Truce." He frowned when she didn't shake it, but crossed her arms.

"Kakashi, I told you I wanted to get through this mission without anything to remember it by. And now look." She waved a clenched fist at him. "And if I ever find your hands on my ass again, it'll be the last thing you ever touch."

"It was for…warmth." He chuckled. She rolled her eyes and left him standing there.

He didn't mean to…Well, it was more subconscious…All lying aside, he purposely slid her skirt up and positioned his hands on her ass sometime before they fell asleep. And it felt as good as he imagined. Firm, but not stiff. The curve of her buttocks—

"So sensei, what did she threaten you with?" Shaking his head, he turned to look at Naruto.

"She wants to cut off my hands." Stuffing a hand in his pockets, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What'd you do to get on her bad side?" Kakashi shrugged.

"I don't know. Since that meeting, we've never really been the same. It's probably just one of her moods." Sasuke nodded. Naruto started to look around. "What?"

"Someone's here, Grass. Fifty feet."

* * *

><p>"Stop it! Get away from me you jerk!"<p>

"I couldn't hear you, Leaf ninja,"

"Get the fuck off of me!"

"Now!"

"What the hell?"

There was a pop. When the smoke cleared, she saw eight dogs standing in a circle around her. Naruto had a kunai at the neck of her perpetrator, Sasuke had a kunai at his back, and Kakashi stood in front with his sword. Her eyes widened. She started to fidget.

"Haruno, we got this, just stay still. Why the hell are you here?" Sakura shook her head.

"Naruto—"

"Sakura." Kakashi moved the sword closer to his neck. "I'll slit your throat. But first, why are you here?"

"Slit my throat? Why would you—"

"Kakashi! What the _fuck_ are you doing? Naruto, Sasuke, move!" Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows.

"We're trying to save you Sakura, can you cool it?" Her eye twitched.

"You're going to save me."

"Yes."

"From tickling."

"Ye—what?"

"Ren, can you put me down?" Setting her down on the ground, she stomped over to Kakashi and pushed his chest.

"Sakura, what's going on?" Punching him in the arm, she continued.

"He was tickling me, you idiots!"

"Tickling you? What kind of ninja tickles?" His dogs signaled their departure with a 'pop'.

"An ally. Kakashi." She placed a hand on her forehead. "I knew you were an idiot, but I didn't know you were this fucking stupid." He sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Sakura."

"So…does Sasuke give us money for this kiss too?"

"No, you loser. Shut-up."

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh…Nao. Hello," Sakura took one hand from around Ren's neck and waved awkwardly.

"Nao, how's it been?" His eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" Ren put one hand on his hip and the other around Sakura's waist.

"What am I doing?" He smiled. Nao's eyes narrowed further.

"Get your hands off." He growled. Ren was taken aback.

"You have a problem with that…Nao?" Sakura, trying to back up, was pulled into Ren's arms. Against her will, he crushed his mouth against hers. She shrieked. Nao glowered. "Was that good, Nao? Did you like that?" Naruto turned to Kakashi.

"What the hell is happening?" He whispered. Kakashi turned back to the scene at hand.

"Well, Sakura kissed Nao before she got captured. In captivity, I'm guessing she hooked up with Ren. And now, it's a battle of territory." He whispered back. Naruto nodded.

"So…Sakura's a who—"

"Don't say that word, Naruto." Sasuke scolded. "She'll kill you if she hears it." Naruto gulped.

"What is up with you and women?" Ren shrugged.

"They just like me, Nao. I apologize if you're jealous, but then again, that's really not my problem." Nao scoffed.

"You wanna go through this again, lover boy?" Ren crossed his arms.

"Doesn't really make a difference to me. Fact of the matter is, I'm going to Konoha, and you're going back to Kusa." Kakashi chose this time to speak up.

"You're going where?" Ren turned his attention from an angry Nao to Kakashi.

"They've assigned me as a Liaison between the two Hidden Villages. Say your goodbyes, Tadashi." Walking behind Ren, Kakashi grabbed Sakura by her arm and pulled her away from the commotion.

"Sakura, you need to explain." Covering her eyes with her knuckles she groaned.

"I-I don't know what happened. I wasn't really with Nao. It was only a kiss before I got captured, right? Ohhhh," She moaned and shook her head. "Then Ren helped me get to a shower and got me food sometimes…one thing led to another—"

"You had sex with Ren?" She looked up.

"No! Are you crazy?" She sighed. "Then I told Ren sometime before you guys came that we were only fooling ourselves. I didn't really break it off with him, but I never saw him again. Then I saw Nao, and I guess he thought we were together. And then you! Ugh. You and your womanizing ways!" He smirked. She glared. "And look at them! They're _fighting._ Because of me, Kakashi." He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Sakura, you need to go tell both of them that it's over, and you're sorry." Squeezing her eyes shut, she put her hands on her hips and walked over to the two exchanging blows.

Putting a hand on both of their shoulders and almost getting punched herself, they stopped. He watched her hug Nao first, then she turned to Ren and he watched with fury as he got away with patting her bottom. She walked back over to him.

"Well, Nao thinks I ended it because of you." His eyes widened.

"Because of me? Sakura, what did you tell them?" She sighed.

"Oh, I…told them I was, uh...seeing someone else…" He took a step back.

"Sakura, why?"

"I didn't tell them who! Ohhhh," She sniffed. "I really need a hug right now. I'm going to go find Naruto." He frowned.

"Why?" She sniffed again.

"Then they're going to think you're that other guy, and I don't want them to think _that._" She pouted and went to find Naruto. When she did, she put her hands on her face and leaned into his chest. He awkwardly patted her back as the sniffing continued.

What's so bad with him being the other guy?

* * *

><p>"I…don't want to do this anymore." She stopped short at the bridge with Nao and Katsumi on either side of her, Grass on the other side of the bridge.<p>

"Don't be scared, Sakura. Sasuke and I are going to be right in the middle of the bridge. Naruto's going to be right behind you. We've got back-up on each side. Nothing can go wrong." She frowned.

"Yeah right." She took a deep breath and slowly started to walk.

If she believes that nothing will go wrong, then nothing will go wrong. Ahead of her, she saw Kakashi and Sasuke take their positions on the ropes in the middle of the bridge. If they were there, then she was safe. But it's not like she can't take care of herself, because she can. It's just that they give her a nice sense of security.

"I don't care about the Peace Treaty, bitch. I'll kill you and your friends. That Uchiha looks delectable, by the way." _Don't talk to her Sakura._ And she wasn't going to. She's the one in bonds now; she tried to keep reminding herself that. So she continued to walk.

"Sakura," Keeping her eyes forward, she leaned a bit in his direction.

"Yes?"

"Don't let yourself get seduced by Ren. He has a pretty face, but he's no good." She bit her lip. She wouldn't believe it. He's caring and she witnessed it. Yes, he may have women falling over his feet, but the fact that he chose her out of the many busty types out there must mean he's not shallow.

"Nao, I won't believe it. He's not who you think he is." Nao shook his head.

"I would hate for you to find out the hard way. But for the record, you were excellent company." Trying to avoid eye contact, she subtly nudged him.

"I'll miss you," She whispered. Then they reached the middle of the bridge, and she knew that was the last conversation they were going to have. She stopped and let Nao and Katsumi walk on.

"You look well, Leaf ninja." Supposing they were addressing her, she nodded.

"I am, Kusakage-sama." She waited for one of the ninja from Grass to come meet her halfway, give them the scroll, then they could go back home.

"But three months? I'm sure that can do damage to anyone's brain, yet you look…stable." She put her hands into the pockets of her overcoat. Why wasn't anyone coming to give her the scroll?

"I am, Kusakage-sama." He crossed his arms.

"You had many opportunities to escape," Not knowing where the conversation was going, she shifted on our feet and looked at Kakashi. He was still perched upon the rope beside her, Sasuke on her other side.

"Just give us our Treaty, Kusakage-sama." He narrowed his eyes.

"Yet you were overpowered in all of them, and some you just didn't try." She shook her head.

"Please, stop."

"Why did you give up?"

"Stop it."

"Did you want to die there?"

"Stop, Kusakage-sama. Give us our scroll." Her fingers were itching at her sides. To do _something._ But they needed that scroll desperately. She saw her previous warden, Hayate, step forward.

"Why, Pinkie, it's a wonder you didn't go insane. You begged us to kill you. End the pathetic thing you called your life." Her eyes narrowed and her hands fisted in her pockets.

"Shut-up." He just smiled. Anger built up inside of her.

"How's your mother doing, by the way?" Her breathing grew rapidly as she pivoted on her heel.

"Kakashi, forget the scroll." She started to walk back down the bridge as fast as she could.

"Stop, Sakura." Surprisingly, she did. Not by her own power though. "Turn around, and walk back." Whatever they did, she was doing whatever asked of her.

"What did you do?" He laughed.

"Grass has many tricks up their sleeves. Anyway, how would you like to feel it all again? All that hate and revenge?"

"Kakashi!" But he was no longer there. Or Sasuke.

"Here, try these." A flash of pain hit her as she fell to her knees. Grabbing her head, she squeezed her eyes shut as familiar images passed behind her eyes.

"Stop them!" All she heard was bitter laughter ringing behind her ears. When she opened her eyes, those images became real. Her teammates lying in bloody piles all around her. All she could see was their deaths over and over again. When she shut her eyes, they were there too. Tears leaked from her eyes and painful sobs racked her body.

"Kill us, Sakura. Get up, and kill us."

It's sad when your mind can control your body. It's even sadder when you willingly let it. Sakura would never admit to her mental problems, but she had them. Wanting to kill those ninja so bad it hurt. The Treaty was long forgotten. But she didn't care about that. She cared about vengeance, and the pain she wanted them to suffer through. Because Sakura was a creature of impulse. And she's come to terms with that. The things they were doing with her mind, making her relive those horrible three months, there was nothing she could do _but_ react. It was because she was like this, with her mental problems added into the equation, that she was very dangerous when angered.

So like Nagato, she felt this was her second great pain. This is when she'll snap. This is when she'll kill those bastards in Grass and end her pain. She couldn't tell what reality was at the moment, though. Whether Kakashi was really getting his head sliced off, or Naruto was really letting the Kyuubi take full control of him. Or if Sasuke was letting Kabuto merge with his body and Orochimaru's. If her poor civilian mother was getting sliced to bits or her father was being stabbed in the chest. No, she couldn't tell whether it was real or not. That's why she's going to kill them.

The great part about that is, she now has the label 'Insanity' to back her up.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry if Chpt 10 was a bit lackluster. I didn't have a lot of ideas on how I wanted her to go insane, So I got this as the best choice. Also, I changed the rating to M for language. I don't think I'm going to have a lot of smutty <em>_scenes __later , but I'll alert you If I will._

_Anyways! Review please!_

_-Keoo19_


	11. Unstable

_Clash Chpt 11! Enjoy!_

**Unstable**

* * *

><p>They needed to move the process along, yet she was just standing there. It's been about a second or two since she checked her nails, a minute before she scratched her head, and three since she's last moved her foot. He didn't know what was going on.<p>

"Sasuke, what the hell is she doing?" Moving to a crouching position on the ledge, Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't know—Wait, she's moving her hands through—"

"28 hand seals, Sakura stop!" He couldn't move. Turning his head sharply, He found Katsumi pointing her sword again. "Snap out of it!" He was yelling at the top of his lungs now. She couldn't use that jutsu. She was going to kill them all, and no one could stop her. Not in that state.

"Kill us, Pinkie." He watched in horror as Sakura's outstretched hands started to rise above her head. Pieces of earth from either side of the bridge started to pull from its roots.

"Sakura stop!" His muscles burning now, he tried to plead with her.

"Where were you, Kakashi? Where were all of you? I cried every day for you to come, but you never came! You never came!" Tears running down her eyes, more and more pieces of dirt gathered around the Grass ninja.

"Sakura, we came! Sasuke, check her chakra flow!" He couldn't pull up his hitai-ate; he couldn't move. And even if Sasuke saw that her chakra flow was disturbed, what could they do? She would have to pull out of it on her own. Shifting his eyes to their side of the bridge, he saw Naruto was gone. Good.

"It's disturbed, Kakashi." Still, he couldn't do anything with that information. Not until Ino came.

"Faster, Leaf Ninja! Kill us!" Ino appeared from the brush when Sakura's dirt encased the two ninja.

"The rest of you, leave! Ino, hurry!" He saw her fingers make the seal for her Mind Transfer Technique and only Nao and Katsumi ran.

"She's not there, Kakashi. I can't persuade her to do anything. Whatever those Grass Ninja did, they made her subconscious take over." Kakashi jumped off of the bridge and ran to Sakura. Shaking her shoulders, he tried to snap her out of it.

"Come on, Sakura. Let them go." The two semi-innocent Grass ninja covered in a case of dirt and roots. If he stopped her now, they would still suffocate.

"Why weren't you there, Kakashi? I wanted you…so bad…to be there." She made her hands into fists.

"But I'm here now." She closed her eyes as he continued to shake her.

"Earth Prison." She whispered. Kakashi's eyes widened as he watched the dirt around the two grass ninja spray around them. He felt most of it on his face, while some fell on his arms and uniform. But the dirt was mud now, and the mud had the ninja's blood in it. Sakura fell to her knees.

"Sakura." He sighed and bent over to pick her up.

"It's over Kakashi. The pain's gone…"

* * *

><p>"Who's that?"<p>

"That's Watanabe Ren, Tsunade-sama."

"Well, why is he here?"

"He was assigned as a liaison between the two countries, Tsunade-sama." She placed a hand on her eyes and sighed.

"Hokage-sama," Ren bowed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Debrief me." Folding her arms on her desk, she propped her chin up on them. Six o'clock. Pretty early, but Tsunade had way too many drinks in the afternoon. Retiring to her residence early, she got as much sleep as could be expected of Hokage who are _always on duty._

"We got to the bridge at about eleven. Nao and Katsumi got across it with no problems." She exhaled a breath.

"Oh. Well that's good. I thought—"

"But,"

"Damn it."

"Sakura wasn't moving for a while. Well, she was moving, but just little things. Like, shifting on her feet, checking her nails, that type of thing." Kakashi said as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Then she started to move her hands through 28 hand seals." Sasuke finished. Tsunade closed her eyes.

"You mean that jutsu that I told you not to let her use unless in dire situations." She drawled out.

"That one, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi pointed out. "But, I think they put her under a genjutsu, because whatever brought her to use it, we didn't see any of it. But they used a jutsu on Sasuke and I that made us unable to move. Like in the last mission where Sakura was captured." Tsunade ran a hand through her hair.

"I saw Katsumi put something on her sword, then when she pointed it at Sasuke and Kakashi, I went to get back-up. But I only brought Ino. I thought she could probably get Sakura out of whatever they put her under."

"I used the Mind Transfer Technique to try to psyche her out of it. But it was weird…Sakura was unconscious, so I couldn't really do anything."

"I told the rest of them to run. If they didn't, Nao and Katsumi would've been dead also." Tsunade looked up.

"She was that gone?" Kakashi nodded.

"When she left, we were able to move again. I tried to shake her out of it, but it was like she was reliving her memories…or nightmares. Either way, she killed two of the ninja that were there. And we didn't get the scroll." Tsunade's head was hidden by her blond hair and her arms. There was inaudible muttering, but most of them heard the swear words that were coming out of her mouth. It wasn't long after that, that she raised her head and held her chin by her upturned palm.

"Great. You know, I've been considering dishonorably discharging the four of you for a while." Naruto gasped.

"Why, baa-chan?" She rolled her eyes.

"You're a threat to the political well-being of our Village. But then again, we need your military strength. More importantly, I need a successor. And I'm not going to let the Hatake's special chakra die out or the Uchiha eyes end with him. Hopefully somewhere along the line, Sakura will get an apprentice or some—Where's Sakura?" Stopping her pervious rant, she started to look around the room for her pink-haired apprentice.

"Well, they uh, checked her into the Hospital." Tsunade's eyes widened.

"What happened?" Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Oh, nothing happened to her _physically,_ per say."

"Nothing happened to her physically…then why is she in the Hospital?" He cleared his throat.

"She was checked into the, uh…Mental Health Wing." Her head falling back to the desk, she sighed.

"Kakashi, I'll leave that to you. And your next mission is being postponed for a week. The Daimyo said they pushed the Wedding back. Watanabe, find yourself a place to stay. I'm going to bed." Pushing herself out of her chair, she stood and walked around the desk. They saw she was wearing a short night gown and heels.

It was then Kakashi noticed his Hokage had killer legs in her old age.

"Since you're Sakura's boyfriend, I'll give you a spare key." Ren smiled. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Naruto? I mean…Sakura's going to freak." Naruto shrugged.

"They obviously know each other. What's the worst that could happen?" Naruto signaled his exit with a wave and Ren not following too far behind. Sasuke left next, and Kakashi set about going to a Wing he's never even seen before.

* * *

><p>"I don't think that's such a good idea."<p>

"And why is that?"

"She's…not very stable at the moment. She restricted all visitors."

"I'm an exception." Luckily, the nurse had told him her room number _before_ getting into it. But then again, what was that supposed to mean? Not very stable? Sakura was fine when they were in Grass. Aside from killing two ninja, not getting the Peace Treaty, and trying to choke Naruto before being put to sleep, she was pretty okay to him. So they had to sedate her. So she woke up and was a _bit_ disoriented. She's Sakura. It'll all blow over by tomorrow. Hopefully.

Walking down another nameless hallway, he started taking in the scenery. The Mental Health Wing was really depressing. There was hardly any color added to the walls or paintings, and all patients were inside their own rooms. Nurses in this Wing, instead of wearing the usual white lab coat, theirs was a grayish color. There were no flowers, desks, or any sharp or breakable objects.

Sakura doesn't belong here.

When they got back to the Village, Ino insisted she be checked into the Hospital. Just to make sure that she was alright. They were sitting in the waiting room when a nurse came out and claimed that Sakura tried to stab a few of them and she continued to yell 'Who won now, Grass bastards?' over and over again. That was about four hours ago. Either way, before Sakura passed out, she told him that the pain is gone. Meaning, she may have a few relapses, but she's going to go back to her regular sleeping, eating, and angry self. He smiled at that.

Upon finding the room he was looking for, he found out that in the Mental Wing, they don't put the patient's charts outside of the door. He would probably be disturbed if he stumbled across the wrong room, and when looking for Sakura's charts, found someone else's. A lot of ninja from Anbu get sent here, and he does _not_ want to read those. He turned the knob and pushed open the door.

"Sakura? Are you in here?" She wasn't on the bed, and the room was in dim light.

"No," Hearing her voice from a corner, he found it best to take a seat a little ways away from her. Not that he was scared, no. He just didn't want to get stabbed any time soon.

"It's Kakashi." He heard a snort. Like he said, it'll all blow over.

"I know who you are." Nodding, he got up from the bed and moved to sit on the round desk. Just a bit closer to her, but still not in her arm's reach.

"Why'd they put you in here?" He asked her in soothing tones, much like how you would address a rabid animal about to strike.

"You were there earlier, Kakashi. 'Her life's been a total train wreck. I knew she was going to snap sooner or later.'" She said, mocking one of her underlings. "I'm insane now. They put it in the archives. I saw them do it too, the bastards." He chuckled lightly.

"But Sakura, you're not insane." The single light coming from the bathroom hit her face when she turned her head from facing the wall.

"Look at me, you stupid man." _Maybe she is insane,_ He thought as she started to sniff. It would surely explain her abnormal moods and her tendency to walk out before an argument got heated. And why she tried to kill him and Naruto, of course.

"What?" He reached over and turned on the lamp behind her. He raised an eyebrow at her getup.

"They put me in a stupid, stupid straightjacket, Kakashi!" Looking at her from head to toe, he found all of her sharp objects and weapons were removed. He saw that her shoes were made of rubber, and her hair was tied back into a bun.

"Why would they do that? Especially since you can get out of it." He was sure Sakura wasn't _that_ dangerous when she was first put on his team as a genin. Now looking at her, in the next lifetime, he'll surely think twice. She was in a full bodysuit. Belts and buckles decorated her body and her arms were secured around her. They even went as far as to put a muzzle on her mouth. Now _that, _was attractive. But she probably bit one of the nurses. He knows he told her at least once before about her biting problem.

"I know. But I can't get out of these." He could almost hear her pout as she started to fidget in her kneeled position.

"Why not?" She nodded to her body.

"You see those shiny things on my shoulders, abdomen and waist?" He nodded. "Those are chakra restraints. If I try to use it, it'll shock me. I'll pass out for at least three hours…minimum." He hummed.

"What did you do to get the muzzle?"

"Biting,"

"Ah." He heard another sniff. What was up with her moods?

"You want to know the worst part?" He really didn't, but he saw that she could still move her legs. Maybe someday when he loses _his_ mind, he'll think about continuing the Hatake line. He needs a reproductive system to do that, though.

"Humor me." Her head dropped.

"Even if the war does come, I can't fight in it. I'll be sitting in my home, while you go fight the war _we_ started!" He shook his head.

"That's really sad, Sakura." She looked up.

"What? That I can't fight alongside you?" He chuckled.

"True, but no."

"Then what?"

"That you're worried about fighting in the war more than your own wellbeing." She slumped.

"Remember, I'm classified as 'Mentally Unstable' now. In other words, legally insane." He frowned.

"Don't use that to your advantage." He heard laughter come from her muzzle. It sounded kind of distorted to him.

"Anyways, can you tell Naruto I'm sorry?"

"For choking him?"

"Yeah,"

"No." Her head jerked back.

"Why not?" It was his turn to laugh. But he did it in the form of a light chuckle.

"Sakura, you hardly ever apologize to anyone." He saw her eyebrows furrow.

"Do too! I apologize to you all the time, because you refuse to do the same. I apparently care about our friendship more than the other counterpart." He frowned and placed a hand on his knee.

"That's not true." Then he heard her sigh.

"Could you get me out of here? It's depressing in this wing. I've been in this position for too long, and I can't seem to get up. I want to sleep at home tonight, if you please." Sleep. That word jogged his memory.

"Sakura, we need to talk." She visibly tensed at the word, though he wasn't too pepped up about their talk, either.

"About what?" He sighed and ran a hand through his silver locks. Once back at his knee, he started.

"I know you Sakura. And I don't want you to suffer. I know when you're down, or when something's just not right. This is one of those times, so talk."

"Where do you go every morning, Kakashi?" She replied in clipped tones.

"This isn't about me." Her eyes narrowed.

"Don't try to make me confide in you, when you won't even do the same." He sighed. He knew it was going to come to this. She's stubborn. And if it's not today that he gets her to come clean, then it'll be the next.

"Sakura—"

"Remember what I said, Kakashi. If you tell me your demons, I'll tell you mine." Another sigh. "Now could you turn on your boyish charm and tell the nurse to let me out of here? Make sure she knows that you'll keep a keen eye on me tonight." He raised an eyebrow.

"Will I really?"

"Oh no. I've had enough of you guys. Just clear me for release." He stood and walked to the door. Hand on the knob, he turned his head to address her.

"This talk isn't over, Sakura."

* * *

><p>She deposited her pack and sandals at the door. Stretching her arms behind her back, her head turned sharply when she heard faint noises from behind the kitchen wall. There's only one person who has a spare key to her house, and that's Naruto. He would've heard her come in, and he wouldn't have tried to stay quiet about it. Besides, she's recognized Naruto's chakra signature a million times over. Even if he was trying to mask it or hide, she would've found him out by the slightest of movements. Sasuke wouldn't come here and hide, and she just walked Kakashi home.<p>

She had an intruder, and she wasn't too happy about it.

Quietly knocking on the wall by the door, she pulled out her bat. Sakura tiptoed to the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room and leaned against it. She waited to hear another noise and she wasn't disappointed.

"Cha!" Swinging the bat from the right, she hit her perpetrator in the back.

"Damn it! Sakura?" But then he turned around. She almost felt guilty. That's why people don't sneak into her home. They could end up like this.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Eating. I'm famished. What're you doing here?" She threw her bat to the ground. Her hands went to her hips.

"Ren! I mean, why are you in my _home._ And why didn't you say anything when I came in?" He smiled.

"I was _eating._ By the way, are you hungry? I picked this up on my way." She smacked the box that he pushed in front of her. Wait…Was that Tempura?

"You didn't answer." She saw him take another bite. Her mouth started to water.

"Well, I didn't have a place to stay, so the kid named Naruto gave me a spare." Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key, he dangled it in his fingers. Sakura snatched it away.

"That doesn't mean you're staying here." Another bite. Her stomach grumbled.

"Hokage's orders. I didn't bring any money with me, and all I have is the clothes in my pack, so…" She huffed.

"You're taking the couch."

"No."

"Then sleep on the floor."

"You're actually getting colder, babe." She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sleeping on the bed with you." He smirked.

"Then you can take the couch." She frowned.

"This is _my_ house." He smacked himself on the forehead.

"Where are my manners today? You can take the couch, my lady." Rolling her eyes as he bowed, she moved to take the takeout box away from him. He pulled it back further.

"Give me some," He smiled wickedly.

"Can I stay?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"No."

"Sorry, Sakura. I'm kind of digging this Tempura shrimp. See, they even gave me some fried vegetables. No charge." She sighed and put on a sweet smile.

"Can I please have some?" He didn't buy it. It always worked with Naruto…and her dad.

"Let me sleep on the bed."

"I'll starve then." She walked out of the kitchen and took a seat on her couch. She leaned forward to pick up her mail and started to sort through the junk and bills. She felt a body move in close to her and fought the urge to smile. He tried to use the old 'I'll yawn and secretly put my arm around you', but she scooted over a seat.

"Alright. New tactics. I'll give you the Tempura if you kiss me." Turning her face only slightly, she backed out of reach when his lips touched her ear.

"_That's_ not happening." She said with a laugh. He gave her a lopsided smile and made a move to nuzzle her neck. She put a hand on his face. "Nao told me about you."

"Oh really." He moved the takeout box to the coffee table and let his arms lye over the top of the couch. He parted his legs. He really looked like he owned it.

"Yes. He said you're no good, and I shouldn't get seduced by your pretty face." He laughed.

"Nao said that? Figures." She frowned.

"Figures what?"

"He just doesn't want me to touch you while he's away." She started to play with her mesh shirt.

"What's wrong with you and Nao? I thought you two were friends." He scoffed.

"Friends? Me and him? More like enemies." She turned her head.

"Why?" His hand moved to scratch the back of his head.

"Nao and I…we don't like each other. I guess we were friends at first. He's in the tactics division, and I'm an interrogator, so we would have to meet eventually." He sighed and closed his eyes. "I was 26 at the time, he was 23. Somewhere along the line, his sister, Naomi, got a crush on me. But she was 19. We had a casual fling, but I told her no sex. I didn't want to…she was still a bit young, you know?" Sakura nodded. He rubbed a hand over his face.

"Then what happened?"

"Well, we had sex. She was a virgin, but it was too late when I found out. She told me she loved me, and I told her it couldn't go further than that. She ran and told Nao that I raped her. He wouldn't believe me, but I can't blame him. It was his sister. It went downhill from there. He sees me as a womanizer. Most of that is my fault though. I stole some of his women, but that's it."

She was right. He wasn't as bad as Nao pictured him to be. It was his sister. And she understood, he had to stick up for her, even if that was his friend. But then again, Ren stealing his women was wrong. But then _again,_ it wasn't Ren's fault that he was a pretty boy. She sighed and reached for the takeout box only for him to snatch it away again.

"Are you going to let me eat, or not?" He smiled and picked up the deep-fried shrimp with his fork. Only for him to put half of it in his mouth.

"Eat it." He said with the shrimp's tail sticking out of his mouth.

"I don't like the tail." He turned the shrimp around. Now the head was sticking out of his mouth.

"Eat it." She frowned.

"Your mouth's been all over it," She pointed to the wetness of the head. He shrugged.

"You've been in my mouth before." She frowned. It's just not very hygienic to stick that in her mouth.

"I'll just take the other piece." Pulling the box onto her lap, she found with disappointment that there were only fried vegetables left. Closing it in resignation, she leaned over and bit a piece off. She hummed in pleasure as she chewed. It was weird…the shrimp had a bit of a minty aftertaste…

She saw he still didn't chew his piece.

"That's going to get soggy." She pointed to his mouth.

"Then eat it," His voice muffled from the food between his teeth.

"Umm…I'd rather not."

"Please?"

"Ren, I really don't want—don't do that." His fingers removed themselves from under her thigh.

"Sakura, my tongue is getting dry. Take it." Sighing, she leaned forward and took the rest of the head. She started to chew.

"Are you happy now?" He swallowed and wiped the crumbs off of his mouth.

"Not really." She groaned.

"What now?" He licked his lips and moved closer.

"I want…to kiss you…" A thin, pink eyebrow rose.

"We haven't even discussed your living arrangements and you're already focused on my lips." He crawled towards her. It wasn't that big of a couch. He didn't have far to go before his hands were pressed down on either side of her. She started to laugh nervously.

"That jacket…have you been taking my stuff?" He whispered breathily.

"No…this is mine. I…this was…customized—would you back up a bit?" He pressed his forehead against hers.

"I think you'll look nicer in mine." His lip was touching her nose now. "But of course, I'd like it even better if you were naked under it."

"Not happening." He licked his bottom lip.

"I have my fantasies."

"That's just what they are," She breathed. "Fantasies."

"If you wear my jacket, I'll move." Reaching her arms up, she pulled his black overcoat off of his shoulders. Underneath was a dark grey button down shirt. Despite herself, her fingers started to trail at his shoulders until they reached his neck.

Finally getting his jacket from under his hands, she started to shake out of hers.

"Yeah. Keep shaking."

"Oh shut-up." When she got his jacket on, she found that it was pretty big on her. "Um…" Ren laughed.

"It's alright. You'll be taking it off soon." She smacked his arm with the overlapping sleeve.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Wait, wait, wait. How old are you again?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Twenty-three…" He nodded his head.

"That's old enough." Her palm covered his face.

"You have to move away." He frowned.

"Why?" She rolled her eyes and flapped her arms.

"I put on your stupid jacket." Ignoring her statement, his fingers went to tug at her skirt.

"You know, I like that skirt." Her hand grabbed his.

"Look, Ren. You have to know something about me." She felt him make a trail of kisses down her neck.

"Is…it…urgent?"

"Yes." He sighed and moved off of her.

"What is it?" She bit her lip.

"I'm mentally unstable." He stared at her.

"…So?" Her eyebrows rose.

"What do you mean 'So'? You can't like a girl like that." He moved to take a seat back on the couch.

"Are you going to have sex with me?"

"What type of question is that?"

"I'll try rephrasing it. Are you going to let me make love to you?" She pondered the idea for a second, but then her thoughts turned to Nao. But then again, he wasn't really at fault…Nao won out.

"No." He shrugged.

"Then you're still the same old Sakura to me." She smiled. But then it turned to a frown.

"But I tried to kill my best friend." He scratched his head.

"The Kyuubi, the Uchiha, or the old guy?" She pouted.

"He's not _that_ old…" She muttered. "The Kyuubi."

"Sakura, you were a prisoner for three months. Yes, you may be pretty messed up in the head, seeing how you kissed _Nao—"_

"Stop it," He put his hands up.

"Okay. But still, you don't seem any different to me. Well other then the fact that you won't let me kiss you…" She sighed.

"No." He sighed.

"But you know, Naruto called me your boyfriend. It's fitting that we act the part. I think I'm doing good, but you, on the other hand, need some work." Trying to move closer to her again, a palm was placed on his chest.

"And what is that?" He looked up.

"Well, you should be naked. And my hands should be right…here."

"Move it, Ren!" She tried to smack his hands away from her breasts, but ended up laughing. He was tickling her again.

"Or, they could be right…here." Sliding his hand up the back of her skirt, he squeezed her ass. She frowned.

"You know, you play too much." He popped her underwear.

"You don't play enough." He slid his hand under her mesh shirt and unhooked her bra as she arched her back.

"Now what did you go and do that for?" His hand was moving up the front of her shirt. She started to move her foot.

"Ah, ah, ah, Sakura stop."

"Move your hands."

"Alright, alrigh—Ah! Sakura, I said stop,"

"Back up."

"Alright, I'm done." Putting his hands up surrender, she removed her foot from inside of his pants. He slowly backed away.

"Be a good boy." She laid her head down on the arm of the chair. Incidentally, her hand was under her head. Each time she inhaled, his jacket smelled like a…cinnamon bun.

"Sakura," He tipped his head back on the couch.

"Hm?" Maybe she was having too much fun with smelling his jacket. It was easy to figure out since her head started to swim each time she took another sniff.

"Gray-haired guy…what's your relationship with him?" She froze. Kakashi…she couldn't really explain their relationship. It's gotten pretty complicated in the past few years. Sitting up, she started to rub the soft material of his overcoat on her knees.

"Well…first he was my teacher." Ren blinked.

"How old is this guy?" She frowned. But then again…she didn't remember either…

"He's fourteen years older than me—"

"Sakura, fourteen?"

"Shhh. I'm twenty-three…plus fourteen…seven…two…one…He's thirty-seven." He ran a hand through his black hair.

"So he was your teacher…like mentor? Tell me mentor." Sakura bit her lip.

"Not exactly. He was my genin sensei—"

"So he knew you when you were like…ten?" A dumbstruck look was plastered on his face.

"Twelve, actually. Then when Sasuke, the Uchiha, left—"

"Where'd he go?" She placed a hand on her forehead and sighed.

"Ren. If you want me to tell you my relationship with all of them, just say so." He smiled.

"So." Her eyes rolled. If she wasn't so annoyed she would laugh.

"Don't interrupt me anymore." A finger was pointed in his direction.

"And if I have questions about the story…"

"Then you wait until the end." He raised his hand.

"But Mrs. Watanabe—"

"Are you serious?"

"—What if I forget my questions?" She pursed her lips. If they were going to play this game…

"Raise your hand and wait to be called on." He leaned closer.

"And if I'm a good boy?"

"Then you get nothing." He sighed.

"We'll see. Anyways, go on." She turned on the couch and crossed her legs in front of her so she was facing him.

"You've heard about the Uchiha Massacre." He nodded. "He was the only survivor. Well, him and his brother, but his brother committed the crime. Well actually, it was orders from Danzo—" He raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"You're getting off topic."

"Right. His brother wanted Sasuke to get revenge on him. He tried to cope at first, but he wanted to get stronger. So he left the Village. I was the one left behind. Naruto promised me he would bring him back, so he left the Village with Jiraiya-sama. Kakashi…he had his own way of dealing with things. He started taking S-class missions. I trained with the Hokage." She looked down and started to fiddle with her skirt.

"We tried over and over again to bring him back. There was the mission when I was eighteen…Sasuke had killed Madara and Kabuto. They were going to have to fight. Everyone said it was destiny because of the paths they chose. All I could do is sit and watch and wait. I wasn't on par with either one of them. And then the final blow…" She used his sleeve to wipe away a stray tear.

"I had to watch the two most important men in my life try to kill each other. They used the jutsu that started it all. The Rasengan and the Chidori. I thought they were both dead. First I laid their bodies together. And then I had to decide…which one to heal first." He raised his hand again.

"So which one did you—"

"When he came back, he was drugged and he was on house arrest under my supervision." He frowned.

"So…you two dated." She bit her lip.

"Yeah. It was just for a little while though. Some things just weren't meant to be, right? But Naruto and I never had anything romantic about us." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He raised his hand. "Yeah?"

"You're lying." She used a finger to part her bang to the side.

"What do you mean?" He took one of her hands and took two fingers of the other hand, placing them on the back of her wrist.

"Your pulse. Feel that for a second…Well, you're a medic. Your pulse is supposed to feel like it's only beating once. Your pulse feels like it's beating twice." He touched her face. "Your cheek muscles are vibrating. That usually happens from adrenaline, fear, nervousness…" She brushed her bang aside again.

"I don't know what all of this is supposed to mean." As her hand was coming down from her face, he grabbed it.

"Remember what you told me about your forehead? Why are you brushing your bang aside?" She frowned.

"How do you know all this stuff anyways?" He shrugged.

"I'm an interrogator. The littlest things are supposed to stick out to me or I can't be called one. What happened between you and Naruto?" She rubbed a hand down her face. Grasping the top edge of her shirt, she started.

"I used to despise him, you know? He was so ill-mannered. So many pranks…he was just a loser. Compared to Sasuke, that is. Then we found out about the Kyuubi, and I despised him even more. I don't know if it was because everyone else was doing it, but I did. And I hate myself for it. Then as we started to go on missions, he just showed me up. He was so strong. Who am I to talk about him like he's trash, when I can't even hold my own in battle?" A tear came down her face. "He and Sasuke had a rivalry going. They pushed each other to get stronger, and that left me in the dust. I was always the one saved or protected. I couldn't do anything." He put on hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"Sakura, it's alright." She shook her head. More tears fell.

"No, I have to get it out someday right?" She laughed. "Then Sasuke left, and he was the only one I could turn to. We tried to bring him home many, many times. We came back from a mission, and I was crying so hard. It was my fault Sasuke left. I tried to sweet talk him into staying. I should've just alerted the Village in the first place." She looked down to her skirt. "He didn't know what else to do. We had another mission up in a few weeks. He invited me into his house. I just sat there, and I cried. And he held onto me like I was the most precious thing in the world. But I'm not! I _hated_ him! And I told him. How can he still treat me like this? He knows how everyone felt about him. He knows. _He knows._"

**-Flashback-**

"_Can't you hear me? How can you still call me your best friend? I didn't stand there with you when you were hurting the most! I was with __**them.**__I was with those who caused all your pain. Naruto. Tell me to get out right now! Tell me to get out and I promise, I will." She was kneeling, clinging to the pillow for dear life while he just stood there and smiled. Wretched sobs racked her body as she rocked back and forth. Hair stuck to her face, her fingernails ripping into the cloth of the pillow, yet he stood there and smiled. She dug her feet into the carpet as hard as she could._

"_Tell me to go, you Baka! Tell me! You're so stupid, Naruto. Tell me to go. T-tell me. Don't let me hurt you, like I did so many times. So many scars. Naruto, please. I'll walk out. I'll go... I'll go." She felt the snot run out of her nose and the spit that was all over her lips. Her face was puffy and her cheeks and nose were stained red. Her eyes had deep bags in them and her eyelashes clung to each other from the tears. Her vision was too blurry. She could barely see the orange mass bend down in front of her._

"_Sakura." Her fist hit the floor._

"_Please, Naruto. Please. Why won't you kick me out?" He crawled closer and wrapped his arms around her as she banged on his chest. He can't treat her like this. He can't._

"_What makes you think you hurt me?" She didn't stop hitting him, yet every punch was getting weaker than the last. _

"_All of my burdens, I shifted them to you. I couldn't take care of it myself! I couldn't take care of anything! I'm the reason for your pain. I'm the reason. Let me go." _

"_You're my best friend, Sakura."_

"_Don't say that word!"_

"_I love you, Sakura. Don't ever think for a second that I don't, because I do." Her fists stopped in their tracks. Her eyes widened and she looked up to his smiling face. "You're my best friend because you're there. You personally patch me up after every mission. You make me my favorite ramen when I'm too lazy to buy it. You give me advice that rings true like no other. I couldn't live without you. You're my best friend because __**I**__ want you to be." Her lip started to quiver as she wrapped her arms around him. Her fingers were digging into his back as she continued to shake in his arms._

"_I love you so much, Naruto."_

**-End Flashback- **

"Naruto was there through everything. He never left my side. I tried to kill him. What type of person am I?" Her face probably mirrored that day. She could already feel the puffiness of her cheeks and her hair was sticking to her face.

"Where are you going?" He said as he watched her slip on her sandals.

"I just need some fresh air."

* * *

><p>She continued to push herself with her foot absent-mindedly. She let her fingers play with the chain as she stared ahead at the Academy. She felt horrible. She hasn't moved from her spot in over an hour, and she didn't feel the need to. She couldn't muster up the courage to apologize, yet she knew that she had to do it. She wasn't going to try to get out of it by using excuse like, 'I'm mentally unstable'. She's overused that in the span of about five hours.<p>

No one knew. No one knew what happened on that day. They kept it a secret. And because of what happened, they became closer. Yes, she's glad for that. But not the way it happened. Sasuke having to slip out of their grasp once again, adding another scar to the ones that adorned her heart and his. She was too stupid to do anything on that mission. Too emotional. Crying instead of killing him. Reminiscing instead of trying to catch him off guard. And where did that leave them? Another failed mission among the many they had. More heartache. Loss of hope. Was he really going to come back?

But then again, it took both of them almost fighting to the death to bring him home. How did that feel? For Naruto, fighting his best friend, the only one who truly understood the pain he went through. The two of them, without family. An empty residence in their hearts where hers was full. Yet, Sakura, not even able to comprehend any of their feelings, could only sit and watch. She and Sasuke, they're the only family he's ever had. It's tragic that he got stuck with her. There was nothing that she could do for him that Sasuke couldn't do better. She tried that day. She tried to get him out of the contract. She knew that losing Naruto as a friend would scar her permanently, but what is that compared to growing up alone? He got stuck with a hell of a family member.

Staring off in the distance but not really staring, her foot continued to move her back and forth. The creak of the swing was familiar now; she's been listening to it for a while, now. But it didn't bother her. What's two hours compared to a childhood filled with lonely days on a swing?

Some voice in the back of her head kept telling her not to blame herself so heavily. She ignored it.

"I would've liked to think that I can finally pull one over you, but then again, you've been swinging on that for some time now. I don't think you're really paying attention to your surroundings." Slowly turning her head, her foot stopped pushing. It was Kakashi, staring at the Academy with his fingers folded across his lap. The dry blood and dirt still stuck to his face and hair.

But it's actually a coincidence that Kakashi was there. He was the one person she didn't get to explain her relationship with. Even if that time came, she didn't know if she could've.

"What are you doing out here?" She said in a small voice. Mucus still clogged her throat, and that lump just refused to go away.

"I was just passing by." She looked around. There was a big brown wall to their left. Kakashi was stupid at times, but this wasn't one of his moments. He came to find her.

"You wanted to ask me something?" She really wasn't in for an argument tonight. If he asked what was bothering her, she was positive that she wouldn't hold it in.

"I've actually come to talk to you about earlier." Earlier…She really didn't remember any of their conversations earlier.

"Yes?" Instead of jumping to conclusions like she usually did, she decided she let him go right into it. If he cracked a joke, she would cry. That's about all she's got left tonight.

"My father, he killed himself when I was seven." Sakura's head whipped around.

"Kakashi, no. I don't want you to—" He waved her off.

"I'm sure you heard of the White Fang. He was on a mission, and its completion was important to Konoha's war efforts. He chose to discard the mission and save his comrades. When he came home, he fell into disgrace. Not even the ninja he saved would stick up for him. I wanted to spend some time with my father, but it seemed all he did was stay in bed. Then uh, one day, I came home from the Academy. I was going to tell him…" He ran both of his hands through his hair, getting both blood and dirt on them in the process. It didn't look like he cared.

"Kakashi…" She whispered. When she told him that he had to confide in her for her to do the same for him, she used that as a sure fire way to never have to talk to him about it. But now…

"Minato-sensei said he was going to take me on as my mentor. He was going to give me one on one teaching, since I was too young to be put on an actual squad. I was going to tell him that. And I went into the living room to find him…He was…lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He had a knife in his hand and left a note, so he might've been thinking about it for a while." He rubbed a hand down his face.

"I didn't mean for you to tell me that, Kakashi." She whispered.

"I hated him so much. He was supposed to follow the rules. Show no emotion. Yet he let his teammates get to him. I followed the rules to the T, from then on. But now, thinking back on it, I shouldn't have. My mother was civilian. And she loved my father… a lot. When he committed suicide, she couldn't take it. She wasn't built like a Shinobi. She couldn't shrug off the stares or the gossip. She wasn't strong. So I hated my father for leaving her like that. But I could've done something about it. By that time, I had already steeled myself off from all emotions. All my mother needed was me, and I gave her the cold shoulder. She soon became an alcoholic, and it wasn't long after that before she died."

"How?" Sakura said. She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Over dose. Minato-sensei took me in. When I was old enough, I was put on a team under him. But I was already an arrogant, by the rule prick. My teammate, Uchiha Obito…He was always late to everything. Always making excuses. I disliked him. He was an Uchiha, but he was a crybaby." He laughed at the memory. "We were always arguing, and Rin was usually the one to break us up. She was a medical-nin. Seem a bit familiar?" She nodded.

"Sounds like our team…"

"Yeah. The day when I became jonin, I was put in charge of them, while Sensei headed to the front lines. It was a total bust, though. I got my left eye slashed through and Rin got captured. Obito wanted to save her. He was in love with her, but she was in love with me."

"Sounds a lot like our team." Seeing that Sasuke was Kakashi and Naruto was Obito, then yeah. It was exactly like their team.

"I told him they weren't going to kill her yet. They had to get the information out of her, so they were going to stall. I said that we needed to complete the mission first. I didn't want to make the same mistake as my father. But he told me that 'In the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash—'"

"But those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." He nodded.

"He told me my father was a hero. He knocked me off my pedestal, basically. I decided to follow him. We got into a fight with the Iwa ninja, then we went to go untie Rin. We were on our way out, but that same Iwa ninja used the Rock Lodging destruction jutsu. I was about to get crushed by one, and Obito pushed me out of the way. He gave me his Sharingan so he could see the future. He told me to protect Rin." Her eyes widened.

"So is that why you have the Sharingan? And the scar?"

"Yeah. It was a gift, for becoming jonin that day. It wasn't useless. It saved my life millions of times." Her fingernails dig into her sides.

"I see."

"Rin joined Anbu. I couldn't help her. I couldn't save her from the heartache and eventually her death. I joined Anbu after that. Then there was the Kyuubi attack…they wouldn't let us fight. Sensei and Kushina died that day. The third assigned me to take care of Naruto some days, but I was still a kid myself." She looked over to him.

"Is that why you go to the memorial every morning? For them?" He finally turned his face. She was surprised to see a single streak of a tear coming from his right eye. No matter what anyone might think, Kakashi was really compassionate. He wasn't as unfeeling as he portrayed himself to be.

"I should be on that memorial stone, Sakura. For all of those who I lost." She got up at that, and moved over to the bench he was sitting on.

"Why do you hide yourself? Behind everything, I mean." She placed her hand on his knee.

"Truth be told, I don't know who I am. When I was younger, My father told me that it's his job to shape me into the person I'm going to be when I'm older. He never got the chance. I created my own persona. I control what everyone thinks of me. And it has worked out just fine." She squeezed his leg.

It was all so sad. Everything about him…He was another one. Everyone he loved was gone. He and Sasuke were basically the same person. Same arrogance…everything. So she hugged him. Because it was right at the time.

"Sakura?" Her body was pressed up against his sides and her arms were wrapped around his neck, yet he didn't reciprocate. She wasn't going to move until he did.

"Hm?"

"Your bra is gone." She froze. He said it in such a calm tone, he could've been asking her what was for dinner. She took her arms from around his neck and found that indeed, her bra was gone. When could that have even happened? She didn't remember…Ren, the bastard.

"Yeah…I uh…Yeah." He chuckled.

"It's okay. I'm not going to ask." She sighed. She didn't need him to.

"Kakashi, I think I owe you something." He turned to look at her.

"What's that?" She folded her hands in her lap.

"Well, I'm not exactly clean either. I'll tell you everything." She said, fisting her hands into her skirt.

"I'll be here."

"I know."

* * *

><p>"Just a minute!" Naruto set his mug of orange juice and cereal on the coffee table before picking up his remote and turning the television on. Despite contrary belief, he does not only eat ramen. And yes, cereal and orange juice may be breakfast, but he was running out of food. Fast. Maybe Sakura will take him shopping again…<p>

He jogged through the hallway and up the stairs. He was really fortunate his dad had a big house. He didn't think he could continue to live in that hole in the wall anymore. He survive through it all of his life, but enjoying luxuries was always awesome.

Weaving around the kitchen, he stopped and looked down. Hopefully this night intruder was someone he knew. Opening the door in frog boxers wasn't very appealing.

"Hey, Sakura." She stepped one foot in and immediately fell to her knees. He bent down and touched her shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?" Her hands were flat on the floor adjacent to her head.

"Gomen, Naruto. Gomen." He frowned in thought. Sakura was barely ever this humbled, much less humbled before him. But with her forehead touching his bare floor…He could say he was nothing short of confused.

"What are you apologizing for?" He saw her shoulders shake. "Ne, Sakura-chan. You cry a lot."

"I was disoriented Naruto. I'm so sorry." Frowning again, he caught her by surprise when he grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

"There. That's better." She shook her head.

"Naruto, I'm sorry—"

"Sakura-chan, you worry too much. It was all in good fun. You weren't going to kill me. It hurt…a lot, but the fact is I'm okay." She pouted. Her eyes briefly scanned his neck, then they widened. Naruto took off.

"Why didn't you tell me I bruised your neck?" Around a corner, through a hallway.

"Sakura-chan!" He yelled up to her. "It's not that serious!" He was halfway down the stairs, but she was only at the top. So she jumped. It wasn't the _best_ idea she had. But, it was worth a try.

"Let me heal you!" Trying to get his hands off of hers, she struggled to get a hold of his neck.

"Sakura, I'm already healing on my own! Just _leave it!"_ But she wouldn't. She continued to wrestle his hands.

"Naruto _please._ I hurt you all the time, let me heal you this once." Naruto rolled his eyes and dropped her off at the couch.

"If it was really bothering me, I would've gone to the Hospital." He placed his hands on his hips.  
>"Now what is this really about?" She rubbed her forehead.<p>

"I tried to kill you, Naruto. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do it." He took a seat beside her.

"I know, Haruno. That's why I'm not upset." He leaned in a bit closer. "Don't think that you have to apologize for everything you do now, Sakura. You'll never, ever scar me, or hurt me like you keep saying. You're like my sister…but that would make you Dad's daughter…That's not quite right. Anyways, I know what you're going through. I went through it too, remember? You just need some time." She slumped. He was right, but she hated that.

"I have about a week, Naruto. We have to go on that mission to Yugakure." He frowned.

"Oh yeah. But baa-chan said it's like a vacation. Pervy Sage took me there a few times. We can go skinny dipping!" Her head jerked back.

"No." He pouted and started to shake her knee.

"But, Sakura-chan!" He whined. "It'll be fun! You never live in the moment…" He grumbled. She slapped his arm.

"I live in the moment…lots of times. I'm always in the moment!" He pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow.

"It's not good to lie, Sakura-chan. But it's okay. I'll just ask Sasuke or Kakashi. You can stay with the target, I guess." Naruto sighed, much too forcefully, and got up from the couch. His head bent, his shoulders slumped, his slow gait, it was all of the moves for a faker. Yet Sakura bought it.

"Okay, Okay! I'll go skinny dipping!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air.

"Now I can go tell Sasuke that you agreed!" She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah—Wait. What did you just say?" Naruto sweat dropped.

"I said, 'Now I can go ask Sasuke because you agreed!" He said with forced enthusiasm and another fist pump.

"No you didn't!" She yelled as she moved from the couch. "Ugh! That bastard only wants to see my "Assets"!" She said with quotes as she stomped up the stairs. "Well he won't be seeing anything because I'm not going." Naruto came up after her and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"You don't even have to bring your shoulders above the water. You can stay far away from us. Just come, okay?" Sighing in defeat, she pouted. Naruto: 2, Sakura: 0.

She propped herself up to sit on a table in his hallway. This was a pretty nice house, and she wasn't sure if Naruto knew what to do with it. Yeah, he moved out of that rat's nest, but maybe this was too big of a step up.

She started to swing her feet back and forth.

"Haruno, isn't that jacket just a bit too big?" He said with furrowed eyebrows, staring at how the sleeves came past her hands, and if she buttoned up the collar and added some glasses, she could look like Shino. Remembering why she was wearing the jacket in the first place, she squinted her eyes at Naruto.

"Why'd you give Ren your spare _and_ call him my boyfriend?" Naruto shrugged.

"Well you guys are obviously dating." Her expression was that of someone who was confused. How could he possibly assume they were dating?

"We're did that come from?" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Well actually, I think you're dating Nao _and_ Ren. You see, when Ren kissed you earlier, Nao got all mad. Then they started to fight over you, then you broke it off with both of them, but then Ren hit your bottom, and you let him, so that means that you were dating both of them, but then broke it off with Nao." And she wondered how he got all that out in one breath. But his words were still true. She never really broke it off with any of them. She moved off the table and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Naruto. I'm a _whore_ aren't I? I'm one of _them." _Naruto laughed and patted her back.

"You're not a whore, Sakura. You're just undecided. Let big brother Naruto pick who's best for you." She pulled back.

"But I'm older than you."

"That's beside the point." He said as he pushed her back into his chest. "Come on, let me do it." What could she possibly lose from letting Naruto pick? He _did_ know what was best for her. And her likes and dislikes. He probably knew her more than she knew her.

"Fine, go ahead." He smiled and started to lead her to the living room couch. Motioning for her to take a seat, he first grabbed his mug of now warm coffee and took a sip before proceeding.

"First and foremost, Sasuke. You guys _were_ perfect for each other. Then the whole TenTen thing…It just got out of hand. But seeing now that you guys are back to being comfortable with each other, and have no more feelings…Sasuke is not the one you're looking for!" He said in a tone that bled game show host. But Naruto was actually right. Odd…

"Okay, next." He tapped a finger to his chin.

"Seeing that Nao is gone…He is not the one you're looking for!" She rolled her eyes.

"Well, duh Naruto. I knew that much." He sighed.

"Would you let me do my job?" Stifling laughter from how serious he sounded at the moment, she allowed herself to give him a slow nod of the head.

"No more interruptions or commentary, I swear." She lifted her right hand up. He nodded at her.

"Now, that leaves us with some possible contenders. You are a very unmanageable person—"

"Wha—"

"I said no interruptions!" He put his palm up to tell her to be quiet. She slumped against the couch, once again. "It has to be someone with a very laidback attitude. Despite the fact that you're heightifically challenged, you like very tall men. They have to be ninja, because you love a man in uniform. They have to have a sense of humor and patience…they have to have a lot of patience. They have to be able to withstand your moods and tempers, so that simplifies it to our circle of friends. Being a good fighter is a plus, because everyone knows you hate picking up the slack. And they should appreciate your vibrant mixture of green and pink." Naruto did know more about her than she did herself. She didn't really think he paid attention to the comments and little tidbits over the years about what she'd want in a man…but he did. This only made her appreciate him more.

"So where does that leave us?" He smiled and put up two fingers. She sighed. Only two?

"Kakashi and Ren! And that would ultimately be Ren because Kakashi is pretty old." Her head jerked back.

"He's only fourteen years older than us!" Naruto pointed a wagging finger at her.

"Yes. But Ren is only five. See? Big difference, Sakura. Big difference." She groaned.

"Ren? Does that really leave Ren? And how would you know if he was right for me anyways? You don't even know the guy!" He shrugged.

"Eh, he seems like he fits the description." Another groan. "What's so wrong with him?" Sakura pouted. She really didn't know, truth be told. She just had this feeling that told her to dislike Naruto's choice. Then she thought of one.

"He likes sex." Naruto jerked his head back.

"So? That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do, Sakura. That shouldn't even be a big factor unless—" His eyes widened. She pulled her feet up on the couch and let her head rest on her knees. "Sakura, you're still a virgin?" She sighed.

"Is it that so hard to believe, Naruto?" He shook his head.

"Well, yeah! But if you're still…Then Sasuke didn't…and then…wait…Ohhhh." He pursed his lips together and patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry, Haruno. You're missing out." She smacked his arm away.

"You act like you've had sex before!" She hated that word. Even saying it gave her the jitters.

"I have, Sakura." She started to blink.

"What? With who? Do I have to bring out my bat?" He waved her off.

"No, Sakura. And it's not a who. It's a who's." She blinked again.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I know it's hard for you to understand—" She waved her hand.

"Naruto. When you say 'Who's', you're not talking about more than one person." He shook his head.

"I don't understand what you mean," The grammar of this boy…unmatchable. And she didn't mean that in a good way. She secretly made a little gun, cocked it to her temple, and shot.

"Forget it, Naruto. I don't even want to know." Scratching the back of his head, he shrugged.

"Either way, I think Ren's gonna be good for you. You need to relax a bit, and he's not at all uptight." She sighed. Naruto was right…again. When she looked up again, she finally noticed Naruto was only in his boxers. There was a frog right on the—

"Okay. I think it's time for me to go." He shook his head.

"Nah. We should have a Sleepover."

"…What did you just say?"

* * *

><p><em>I'm so sorry. This chapter is definitely lacking by my standards. Call it a…filler of sorts. Not really any action. Anyways, I wanted to have a part with Ren and Sakura because…I love Ren. I can make him into anything I want. Then, I had the part with Naruto and Sakura, because I wanted to enunciate how deep their relationship went. Either way, I'm sorry for the filler and the lack of action. Hopefully I'll rise out of this bout of writer's block and make the next chapter damn good! <em>

_Reviews make the world go round…_

_-Keoo19_


	12. Altercations

_Clash Chpt 12…Enjoy!_

**Altercations**

* * *

><p>Kakashi was never jealous. He wasn't the type of person to glower when he saw someone nab one of his catches for the night. He didn't get upset when he wasn't invited to a gathering, and he definitely wasn't jealous of Sakura's boyfriend. Like really, jealous?<p>

No. Not him.

The fact of the matter is: He's upset. He was upset at Sakura's choice in men, because it looks to him like she fails in that department. At first, he was happy for her. Another boyfriend meant that they wouldn't end up in any more compromising situations. It meant more time he could keep to himself, and more time she would be happy. Because these days, she always seemed to be in a pissed mood. A pissed Sakura meant everyone around her would eventually be pissed, and he himself didn't enjoy that.

So what was that feeling he got whenever he passed them in the streets, or when she invited them over? It couldn't be jealousy. That was preposterous. Kakashi didn't _get_ jealous. And that was that.

Ren…wasn't the best type of person. Every man is human, but he...he was a bit too human. It wasn't like Kakashi didn't notice every ass or pair of tits that passed by him, because he did. But Ren was committed. He should stay focused on Sakura's, no matter how unappealing they may be. He forgave him the first few times. You know, he's human. But then it got out of hand. For example. On Saturday, the day after they came back from the mission, Sakura decided to take them all out to celebrate. For whatever reasons, he didn't know.

He'd admit that the Great Hatake Kakashi cringed when he saw the two of them passionately making out in the back of the bar. He frowned at the fact that Ren's hand always sat a little low on her hips. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Ino walk past…and Ren look back.

So the rack and ass on Ino is impressive. He would also admit that. But it was just wrong. Either way, Ren was Sakura's boyfriend and he had to respect that. So he forgave him. He became a little wary of the Watanabe boy when he was seen doing it all night on Tuesday. And then Wednesday, and then Thursday. On Friday, he made passes at the waitresses. All of the waitresses. And luckily (Very luckily), Sakura didn't catch him. It turned into a problem, and he didn't like that.

He didn't like that _at all_.

So, a week into their relationship, his monogamy was turning into polygamy. It was Saturday again, and Squad 7's mission started on Monday. Thank Kami. But, he didn't want Sakura to come back and find that her boyfriend has been sneaking around. He wanted to root out the mole, and to do that, he had to use rats.

"You've requested our services sensei?" He rolled his eyes and stepped back to allow them to come in.

"Don't try to act like a private investigator. It doesn't fit you." Naruto frowned as he walked around Kakashi and took a seat at the single table he had in his home. Sasuke followed after him.

"What do you want? I'm sure it's not that important that it can't wait until 10." It was like seven, but being occupied with his thoughts all morning left him restless. Closing the door, he went to the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

"Actually, it couldn't." Sasuke sighed as he tried to rub away that bags that were clearly shown under his eyes.

"Then what is it? I have things I need to do." Yeah right. Everyone knew Sasuke stayed in his home watching infomercials on hair gels that could keep his hair gravity-defying. All day. Every day.

"It's Sakura." Naruto turned his head from the window to stare at Kakashi.

"What do you mean? What happened?" He waved a hand.

"She's not hurt. I mean, it's Sakura and Ren." Naruto smiled.

"I'll take credit for that. Ren is perfect for her." Sasuke glared at Naruto then pursed his lips at Kakashi.

"So, I'm not the only one who noticed Ren's womanizing ways…right?" Sasuke said. Kakashi pointed at him.

"Right. And what better to root out a mole with a rat?" He heard a 'Hey' from Naruto before he frowned.

"Kakashi, I've never seen Sakura so happy with a man ever in my life." Another glare from Sasuke. "Either way, she's enjoying herself. I think I did a damn good job." Kakashi shook his head.

"Naruto, he's been making passes at women all week. I want Sakura's happiness as much as the next teammate, but this guy is pretty sleazy." Naruto crossed his arms.

"Well even if he is a mole, which he isn't, how are we supposed to pull this off without getting our asses kicked?" Sasuke turned to Naruto with his eyes narrowed.

"Sakura's mom is very traditional. She's going to want to meet the boyfriend." Naruto huffed.

"It'll never work. Why would he act out in front of her folks?" Sasuke shook his head.

"Sakura's mom can find something wrong with _anyone._ I speak from experience. I went to one of her mother's Sunday dinners…She voiced her opinions pretty clearly."

"Just because Sakura's mom hated you, you didn't stop dating her. The same goes for Ren. Like I said, it won't work." Kakashi pointed a finger at Naruto, signifying he had a plan.

"But if we invite someone else for Ren to look at, he'll be caught by at least one of her parents. We'll be in the clear." Naruto frowned, still not liking the idea of catching Ren, who by the way, was perfect for Sakura because _he_ picked him.

"We can't invite strippers, Kakashi. And we can't invite any of Sakura's friends, she'll be hurt _and _we could end a friendship."

"But what if the friendship was already ended?" Naruto shook his head with a confused look on his face.

"We can't invite _TenTen! _Despite what Sakura says, she going to kill her if she shows up!" Kakashi slapped a hand on his forehead. So dense.

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, Naruto." Kakashi sighed. Naruto's voice got higher in his bewilderment.

"Then what did you—"

"Sakura's mother will assume that Sakura is still in touch with her childhood friends. I remember her saying something like 'Those bastards dropped me when I entered the Ninja Academy!'" Sasuke said, mimicking Sakura's voice. "If we invite one of Sakura's friends, Ren won't be afraid to show his appreciation of the opposite sex." Kakashi nodded as they stood to get up.

"If everything goes right, we should be pretty set."

They _should_ be pretty set. He had a feeling that something's going to go wrong along the way, and when that happens…Well, everyone around her is going to be in for a painful, painful night.

* * *

><p>"Can you get that?" Sakura breathed. An eye opened.<p>

"No." She frowned and smacked his bare chest. Hearing the phone ring, she sighed.

"Can you get _that?"_ He pursed his lips in thought.

"I'll get the door, you get the phone." He said as he pulled his pants on.

"Roger." Pausing at the door, he looked back.

"Take that off," She rolled her eyes as he continued to walk. Reaching over to fetch the wireless phone from the coffee table, she frowned at what he meant.

"We're not having sex!" He laughed.

"Yeah, whatever." Unlocking the door then pulling it open, he raised an eyebrow at the scene before him.

"Ren," Naruto said with a smile. Sasuke nodded and Kakashi just stared. Cocking his head, he started to speak.

"Yes?" He said annoyed. He was going to have his way with Sakura, and not even she could stop him.

"Can we come in?" His lips folded together.

"Mhm, I'd rather you not—"

"It was just some bill collectors on the phone. You know they're charging me 3,000 yen for pay-per-view? Oh, hey you guys." It was Kakashi's turn to raise an eyebrow at the sight before him. Sakura, with a wireless phone held in her hand, the other rested on her hip. The hip that was covered in a nice mix of satin and lace. Her little black number had a bra top dress that was a dark transparent. He could see her toned stomach and the outlined part where her waist met her hips. Her panties underneath were lace and he noticed her hair was tousled and her cheeks flushed…Kakashi started having that feeling again that _wasn't_ jealousy. Promise.

But he was sure. If Sakura kept wearing lace like that, it was going to become his new favorite color…

"Sakura-chan, why are you wearing that? Wait, did you just get laid?" Naruto said in excitement. She frowned.

"No." Ren chuckled.

"But she's about to." Sakura shot a glare his way. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Kakashi let out an inward sigh of relief. And Naruto…Naruto pouted. Finally turning back to her teammates at the door, she smiled.

"What is it? I was planning on going to the Hospital in a few so…" Naruto nodded his head.

"This'll be quick." Sakura sighed.

"Okay, shoot. But I'm not in for any shindigs today. I have a surgery at 12, so—"

"We're all having dinner with your mother tomorrow night."

"—whatever you're planning—" Her eyes widened in realization and she almost dropped the phone. "_Oh my God."_

"Dinner, tomorrow night?" Ren said, snatching it up before it broke.

"Kakashi," She growled. "Explain yourself." Kakashi smiled.

"Well, word has got out around town about a short pink-haired woman always with a tall black-haired man, with the most peculiar gray eyes." Eye twitching, Sakura turned sharply on her heel. Kakashi briefly noticed the way the curve of her ass peeked out from under her dress. Though it could hardly be called one. It ended where her thigh started. And that was pretty short. Not that he was complaining or anything. It was just a bit too provocative for someone she wasn't having sex with.

"Don't be like that, Sakura." Ren said as he watched her retreating form. The way his head turned slightly to continue watching her storm off told him too much. Kakashi's smile fell. "It'll be fun."

"Shut the hell up!" She yelled and they heard a door slam. He turned back to her teammates standing at the door.

"Well, if there's nothing else…" And the door was shut softly in their faces.

"I _really_ don't like that guy."

* * *

><p>She wiped the sweat off of her brow.<p>

_Maybe_ she was getting a bit rusty.

"Reika, can you give me that oscillating saw?" Her assistant passed her the saw that was on the sterile pan. Flipping the switch, she cut through the nameless ninja's skin first, then went straight for the bone. Thirty seconds later, the saw automatically turned itself off and she was passing it back to Reika. She smiled at her work. A perfect cut, straight through the sternum.

Eh. Maybe she wasn't getting rusty after all.

She shook her hands a bit. The motion of the saw was still vibrating throughout them, and she couldn't work with shaky hands.

When they settled, she turned back to her assistant. "Retractor, please." Reika ambled over with the scissor-like fixture as Sakura held the sternum open. Placing the retractor between the two parts, she clicked it into place and Sakura let go. Sighing, she used her wrist to dab the sweat on her face. Her work said that she wasn't getting rusty, yet the sweat that kept forming on her face proved otherwise.

They were medical-nin. While civilian doctors usually took 7-8 hours to complete a heart transplant, they only took 2. Being thirty minutes in, and the fear of her sweat dripping into the body was greater than that of messing up the transplant. Maybe it was the fact that she had Sunday dinner. With her mom.

Yeah, that was it.

It shouldn't be bad, operative word being _shouldn't._ But having Naruto, Sasuke, _and_ Kakashi deliver the news personally to her, it just bled mischief. She already decided that the night was going to go wrong. She's learned to expect that at Sunday night dinners. Like the first one, which was a total bust.

Her mother eventually found out about Sasuke and Sakura, the fairytale couple, and invited them over for dinner on Sunday night. It was awkward…having Sasuke meet her parents. But then she relaxed, and then her mother decided she was going to talk marriage. When she asked Sasuke if he would prefer a stay-at-home wife who was always there to take care of the children, she knew that the night had taken a plunge downward. He said that he understands her career choice, and that the Hokage never lets ninja with children go on a mission at the same time. That way, one parent will always be home. Sakura felt she loved him even more for backing her up.

Her mother…her mother felt she didn't like him. It was really sad because she voiced her opinions.

"I need the diathermy." As Reika passed her the next instrument, she paid attention to her cuts, but her thoughts just would not stop. Like, what if the dinner ends up going horribly even more so than the last one?

Now _that_ is something to worry about.

But now, it's going way different. Naruto's going to be there distracting her dad…hopefully, and since Kakashi's coming, her mother can focus on glaring at him than at asking questions about Ren. And she really didn't want her mother to ask questions. If he tells her what he does as a living, she can already hear her say something like, "Spy? Sakura! You can't get involved with a _spy!_" And then it's going to be over.

Because Sakura just has _the_ best mother in the world.

Putting her bloody diathermy back on the sterile pan, she positioned her hands carefully underneath the heart and lifted it. Handing it to the now queasy Reika, she walked over to the cleaning station, washed her gloves, and took them off. After washing her hands, she went to the door.

"Make sure the beating heart cadaver is closed up and that heart is stored properly, Reika." She opened it and shut it softly behind her.

Why would they even do that to her? Sasuke knew how the last dinner blew up in his face, and now they were going to have _another?_ No, it couldn't be Sasuke that planned it. Naruto wasn't an idiot. He knew how much she hated those dinners. So the only person left was one with no remorse. But for what reason would Kakashi plan the dinner? There's a plan underneath this plan, and she's going to root it out. She stopped abruptly.

Could Kakashi be…jealous?

The thought alone had her laughing aloud. Sure, it just added to her insanity and caused a few stares and whispers to be pointed her way, but she didn't care. Haruno Sakura has made Hatake Kakashi, _jealous._ He didn't like her with anyone else. He didn't like her with Ren. He found out about Sasuke's dinner and figured this would scare Ren off. Or at least, scare Sakura off of Ren. But in actuality, Sakura could care less who her mother liked or didn't like. Ren was hers, and they just had to respect that.

Walking over to the nurses' station, she pressed the button for the intercom. "Yamazaki Kenji for surgery." Releasing the button, she sat in the chair and waited to be paged. It surprised her. She was actually looking forward to the dinner now. She wanted to see Kakashi's plan crash and burn.

And then of course, blow up in his face.

* * *

><p>"No, really," She said as she pushed him to the door. "We've been spending too much time together. Go." Giving him that final shove and closing the door, she sighed.<p>

When everything they were doing together started to repeat itself, it was time for Ren to spend quality time with himself. She had to get them over here. It _was_ Sakura who told them they were spending too much time together, but she missed their company. It was odd, but she missed them.

Getting to her room, she crawled on the bed and reached over to grab the wireless. She started to search through her directory to find numbers she didn't even know she had. Like, how did Tenzou get in there? Exhaling, she started to dial.

"_Yo. Hatake Kaka—"_ She punched the bed in frustration.

" Ugh! Why can't you just answer the phone when I call, you jerk! I'll think _twice_ next time when I want to spend time with a friend. Go choke on a—"

"_Sakura. I answered the phone."_ Stiffening, a bead of sweat dripped down her temple.

"I uh, thought that was your answering…machine…" He smacked his lips.

"_No. It was me." _She started to laugh nervously.

"Well, uh…have I ever told you that you're like, my best friend?" He sighed.

"_Yeah, uh…Is there something you wanted? This phone is really dusty, so..." _She fell down onto the bed and used her free hand to twirl her hair in her fingers.

"Do you…wanna hang out or something?" There was a pause.

"_Really. You want…to hang out." _She huffed.

"Okay look. So I've been a little mean to you guys the past few days—"

"_Sakura you went ape-shit on us. You were so obsessed with your boyfriend," _He said mockingly, _"You wouldn't even talk to us when you took us out."_ She frowned.

"Now that's not true."

"_It's not?"_ She has to have talked to them at _least_ once_…_Nope. She can't even remember.

"Alright, Kakashi, I'm _sorry._ I just want to spend some time with my teammates. Can we do that?" She heard him sigh on the other line.

"_Where?" _She closed her eyes and hummed.

"Naruto's. His TV's pretty big."

"_Alright, meet you there."_

"No! I'll come pick you up."

"…_Okay"_ She heard the click that told her he was gone. She dialed another number she knew by heart and waited as the phone rang.

"_Hello?"_

"Naruto! Call Sasuke. We're coming over."

* * *

><p>"You said he does <em>what?"<em> She exclaimed as she put a hand over her mouth.

"I'm serious. Hair gel." She continued to laugh.

"What about you, Mr. Bed head?" He pointed to the silver mop on his head.

"This? My hair is always unmanageably unruly. Runs in the family." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. But one thing I know for sure: Naruto's legit. I've seen him get up in the morning. He barely even bothers to wash it!" The poor boy was going to get head lice if he kept that up.

They walked up to the door of Naruto's inherited house. Raising a fist, she knocked twice and waited for it to open. They didn't wait long.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I've been a complete jack—"

"Haruno, quit it." She sighed and stepped around him. Sasuke was seated on the couch. When she saw his hair, she burst into a fit of giggles. He turned to stare at her.

"What?" Despite her quivering lip, she shot a half-serious glare at Kakashi.

"I'm never going to be able to look at him the same way again. Thanks a lot, you jerk." She whispered. He shrugged. She walked over to the couch and took a seat beside Sasuke all the while taking secretive glances at his hair. His eyes were focused on the television.

"What do you want, Sakura." She took a deep breath.

"Can I…touch your hair?" Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.

"…No." Kakashi pointed a finger at her.

"Then that proves it. Alright Kakashi. I owe you 300 ryo." He smiled. Sasuke frowned.

"What are you—"

"So. What do you have in mind, Naruto?" He came around the kitchen with a bag of chips in his mouth and bowls of food and each hand. Placing them on the table in front of her, he smiled.

"I have just the game."

* * *

><p>"Oh man. Did you see the look on your face? Priceless." Sakura doubled over with laughter as he glared.<p>

"I don't think we should let Sakura do the dares anymore." Sasuke said as he grabbed her arm to get her to keep walking.

"I'm sorry. I'm-I'm sorry. That was just…so…funny…Sasuke, wipe your mouth. Her slobber is still there." He frowned and used the sleeve of his shirt wipe his mouth.

"I don't appreciate my face getting sucked by a complete stranger, Sakura." Naruto nodded his head.

"Me neither, Sakura-chan. I have a hickies all over my face." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"At least you guys _have_ fan-clubs. I seem to remember Naruto telling me I'm only compatible with two guys!" Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows and leaned in next to her.

"Who were they?" She frowned.

"You and Ren." He stopped. Sakura and…Kakashi. Nope. He couldn't even _begin_ to fathom that.

"What does that even mean?" She sighed and turned around. Compromising situations like these are what she wanted to avoid. Naruto stepped in.

"Sensei, you two are perfect for each other. You can handle her tempers _and_ calm her down. And you're the only one who can get her really mad, which provokes her to the point of killing you, and then have her be sorry enough to bring you back. Technically, you two are genetically perfect for each other, too. With sensei's rare chakra type and knack for ninjutsu, along with Sakura's natural intelligence, perfect chakra control and taijutsu, your offspring would bring about a generation of ninja Konohagakure has never seen before." Dumbstruck from Naruto's rare, once in a blue moon speeches, she turned to Kakashi to see he looked much the same. Then he relaxed.

"Tch. I'm way out of her league." Her eye twitched.

"Go to hell!" Naruto sighed. It's best to change the topic now before what he knew would be an impending argument.

"Sasuke, who's turn is it?" Previously bewildered by Naruto's speech also, he shook his head lightly.

"Uh, Kakashi." Sakura frowned. Figures. He's probably going to give her some lame dare because no one actually picks truth for their turn.

"Dare." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I thought as much." He paused as they all continued their walk through Konoha. Naruto decided on a game of truth or dare. But of course, Naruto demanded they play it his way, so if it's your turn, you pick truth or dare for the person who went before you. He claimed that there wasn't many dares they could do in the confinement of his house, so they decided to use Village.

Sasuke was first. He dared Naruto to pants Kiba, who was currently taking a late night stroll with Akamaru and his sister. Naruto, being the _stealthy_ ninja that he is, noisily ran behind Kiba and pulled his pants down. Akamaru, who apparently was very angered by this, took a nice bite of Naruto's neck. It was pretty sad really. All that flesh that was missing on his neck. But then again, why rush to the Hospital when _Sakura_ can patch you up for free?

Then she had to choose Sasuke, and she decided it was time for payback. What exactly she was getting him back for, she didn't know. She dared him to walk up to a house in the civilian district. Any house at all. He was to tell whatever woman that answered the door that she looked nice. Sasuke claimed it was a piece of cake. Sakura knew that civilians would kill for any part of Konoha's famous Team 7. And to that, she was right. The _teenager_ grabbed Sasuke and practically chewed his face off. It wasn't long before she grabbed Naruto, too. Kakashi, however, hid himself.

And now it was his turn.

As they neared the bridge, he raised a finger. "I dare you…to jump into the water for exactly a minute." She laughed.

"Well, that's not happening." Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows, clearly taken aback by her answer.

"Why not?" She placed her hands on the rails and leaned forward.

"That water is freezing cold. If you think I'm catching something tonight, you're crazy. What are the consequences?" She shivered as the cold breeze blew past her face. Naruto moved beside her with his back against the rails and his arms crossed.

"Well, you have to get body shots." He pointed out.

"Lay it on me, then." Sakura shrugged and turned to look at him. He was frowning.

"Haruno, it's just a minute." Frowning right back, she positioned her body to face his.

"Why can't I take the body shots?" Naruto looked away. She saw him kick the ground with the front of his boot, and then he stuffed his hands in his pockets. It only served to make her frown deeper.

"And the water's not _that_ cold…" Her eyes were narrowed now, but Naruto's pair was focused on the ground.

"_Why can't I take the body shots_?" She growled this time. He took a deep breath.

"I…We—"

"Don't put us in this." Kakashi and Sasuke, knowing when to back down from Sakura, said in unison. This was not a fight worth fighting, and if Naruto didn't get that, then…Well, again. Sakura's moods haven't been normal lately. One of her tempers can pop up from anywhere with the slightest provocation.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sakura." He didn't know if eyes can look that dangerous, but if they could, Sakura accomplished it. She had one fist clenched on the rail and the other sat on her hip.

"You don't want to hurt me." She said calmly, despite the look on her face.

"Yes." He replied as he turned his attention from the ground.

"I would think that after all I've done to better myself, that I can take one little punch, Naruto." Kakashi would've already have punched her, if it meant avoiding this confrontation, then yes. He would've done it gladly. But seeing as though Naruto fell into a ditch he couldn't dig himself out of, it was time for someone else to step in.

"Sakura, I'll give you another dare." Kakashi said.

"No, that's alright." She said sweetly. Finally turning towards Sasuke and Kakashi, they saw she was smiling. And at a time like this, it definitely wasn't a good sign. "I'll just jump into the freezing cold water. I mean, it's just a minute right? I'm a Kunoichi. So of course I can't take body shots like you guys." She jumped onto the railing.

"Sakura, that's not what I meant." Her head whipped back.

"Shut-up." She growled. And then she jumped. Right into the freezing cold water. Kakashi sighed at his failed attempt and at Naruto's lack of common sense. He was really just joking when he gave her the bet. He would've given her another one if asked, or even given her the body shots. Sakura doesn't like to be looked down upon. And that's exactly what Naruto just did.

She was resting against a rock, and even in the dim moonlight he could see her teeth chattering. That water was too cold. It was nearing the end of July now, meaning it was almost fall. Konoha's fall's were cold and their winters harsh. And seeing Sakura freezing in the water told him just how near it was.

"Sakura, come out. It's too cold." She looked up to him.

"Y-you gave me t-that b-bet, K-K-Kakashi. T-the minute's not up," He sighed. As smart as she is, she's stubborn to a fault. He knows that she won't come out until the minute is up. But he couldn't help but try.

"Sakura, you'll freeze, or catch a cold." Leaning over the rail a bit more, he saw a faint smile appear on her face.

"F-forty-four s-seconds left." He pinched the bridge of his nose as another sigh escaped him. He jumped onto the railing himself and dropped the few feet between the bridge and the water. Landing on the grass behind the rock, he grabbed her from under her arms and started to pull her out of the water. He could feel her shivers. Sakura's body was freezing, and he could tell that even through the layer of her overcoat.

He pulled her into his arms and jumped back onto the bridge. He peeled off her black overcoat and started to rub her arms up and down.

"Sakura, are you alright?" A shaky hand caught his and pushed it away from her arms.

"You know, it's g-getting late. It w-was a nice to spend t-time with y-you guys, though." Grabbing the jacket from his hands, she put it back on and gave a backwards wave as she started to walk away. Kakashi followed after her and grabbed her upper arm only to find cherry blossom petals in his hands.

"I'm not one for the blame game, but I'm putting this one on you, Naruto."

* * *

><p>Naruto was an ass. That was the only thing her dying brain-cells could register at the moment. After everything, he still won't give her one little body shot. And he acted like she couldn't take it!<p>

Shrugging her coat off, her numb fingers started working at pulling off her boots. She started her water logged walk to her bedroom to remove the rest of her soaked through clothes.

If she didn't want to do the damn bet, she didn't have to. The consequences for everyone were body shots, but she was still his dear little Sakura-chan, wasn't she? It still didn't make any sense. Training with the Godaime, training to bring Sasuke home, training to become a jonin, training to become a field medic, and then training for Anbu…What more does she have to do to prove she's not 12 anymore? She's sure she's knocked him over the head enough times to back it up. He was Naruto, and he may be a little dense at times, but he's not an idiot. He knows when to shut his mouth, yet this time…he didn't. He told her it was just a minute, and it would be better to risk hypothermia than to take a body shot. That he didn't want to hurt her. Just the fact alone stung more than the ice cold water.

She sighed as she slipped an oversized jonin shirt, one that she never thought to return, over her head. After pulling on some clean underwear, she went to the closet to pull out her radiator. Heat was the only thing that could get her mind thinking straight. But then again, he said he didn't want to hurt her before she acted foolishly and jumped into the water. A frown appeared on her face as she plugged it in on the wall by the closet.

Okay, so her jumping in the water wasn't entirely his fault. She should've stuck by what she said and stayed out of it. She could still catch something, and not even her superb medic skills can counter something as trivial as the common cold. She should've taken the replacement dare from Kakashi. That would've done her, and her body, some good. Though if she did catch something, she knew she would blame it on the fact that Naruto was too much of a bitch to hit her. He acts like they don't spar! Because she's sure they do. He can blow her up and have no remorse, yet one hit takes him back ten years in the past. But of course, it always, _always,_ comes back down to that.

She stretched her hands out in front of her as the heat started to warm her near frostbitten body. She would admit that she liked to be worried about from time to time, but the fact of the matter is she can take care of herself. She's not weak, and she can certainly take a punch. And that is just that.

Frowning when she heard the telephone ring, she used a knee to get herself off of the ground and took the short walk to her kitchen. When she saw the caller ID, she smiled.

"Oink."

"_Billboard,"_ Sakura let out a small laugh. She didn't know when it happened, but that's what she did when she answered the phone to Ino.

"Hey, what's up?" She heard a sigh on the other end and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"_I'm so __**bored. **__Give me something to talk about." _Sakura bit her lip. Her obvious conflictions were whether or not to tell Ino about her previous fall-out. The part of her that liked talking about her problems won out.

"Well, Naruto and I just had a fight." A loud gasp was heard on the other end. Sakura rolled her eyes. Drama Queen.

"_Not the famed friends! The ones who never, __**ever**__, fight with each other have had their first argument? Kami, I think I'm going to faint."_ She could almost see her acting out her words. It solicited another eye roll from Sakura.

"Oh, Pig stop. You're embarrassing yourself over the phone." She then sighed. "We were playing truth or dare. And Kakashi dared me to jump into the water—"

"_But it's cold!" _

"I know. So I refused. I asked for the consequences, which everyone knows, are body shots. Naruto said he didn't want to hurt me." She heard Ino click her tongue.

"_Really? But, Sakura…"_ She sighed.

"I know, Ino. But I _don't_ know how to make sense of it." She walked back over to her living room and sat in front of the heater. "I'm sure Kakashi would've hit me. But it's not just about the punch. It's about everything I did to make myself stronger. It's the reason _behind_ the punch." She started to play with the fabric of his shirt.

"_I don't know, Forehead. If anything, you should know why he doesn't want t hurt you more than I do. But look. Don't read too much into it. Maybe Naruto just has one of those chinks in his armor."_ Sakura frowned.

"Chinks in his armor?" She repeated. Her frown ran deeper when she saw a little string pop out of the stitched lines in the fabric of his shirt.

"_You know, maybe he just doesn't like hitting women. Well, women who aren't trying to kill him on a daily basis." _A confused look was frozen on her face.

"Pig, that's not a chink in armor, or whatever you called it. That's a _good_ thing."

"_Well, you see? That's why he didn't hit you. He's a good guy. I told you—"_

"Hold on, Ino." Hearing the doorbell ring, she put her hand on the mouth of the receiver and got up. She supposed it was Ren. Though it was awfully late. Glancing at the clock on her walk to the door, she saw it was about 10. She really wasn't up for another one of his games. Ren wasn't even supposed to come home today. 'Spend the night around town', she told him.

He better have a good excuse prepared.

* * *

><p>"I can't do it." Naruto said as he shook his head and backed away from the door. He got down one step before he was pushed back up.<p>

"No, no, no. You need to make things right. At least before she lets it sit and finds it grudge-worthy." Kakashi said as he kept two hands on his back. Naruto sighed.

"Can't you do it, Sensei? She likes you better than me." He whined. Kakashi let out a small chuckle.

"Remember? I'm the one she killed. Now, come on." He forcefully took Naruto's hand out of his pocket, and used it to press the doorbell.

"That better not be you, Ren!" He heard her shout from the other side. Some mysterious force tugged the ends of his mouth into a frown. The door swung open. He saw her eyes narrow as she made a move to shut it again. He pushed Naruto in its way. Sakura was pretty vindictive, but he was sure she wouldn't try to kill Naruto…right? It was in this split second realization that he found that the door wasn't stopping.

His hand slammed onto the wood inches before colliding with Naruto's face. Sighing, he pushed it back open.

"Can we come in, Sakura?" With her eyes still narrowed, she opened the door the rest of the way. He nodded at her and pushed Naruto inside before taking a step up. He noticed that the whirring noise he heard came from her radiator on the far wall near the closet.

Sakura put the phone to her ear. "Speak of the devil, Pig. I'll call you later." Kakashi took a seat in his favorite armchair.

"_Don't forget." _She clicked the off button and closed the door after Sasuke walked in. She wrinkled her nose as she stared at the two white bags in his hands. Then she shoved her nose in the air. They could sit there all they wanted. She wasn't going to say a word. Especially to Uzumaki.

She shuffled back over to her seat in front of the radiator and sat cross-legged before it. Her interest was currently taken by the loose string in the fabric of his shirt which, by the way, would not come out.

"Sakura," Naruto started. "I wasn't saying you can't take a punch." He paused. No response. Actually, the only noise in the room at the moment was the occasional sound of a page being turned and the buzzing of the radiator. He waited more. Maybe she didn't hear him. The radiator was pretty loud, and Kakashi was being really obnoxious with his page-turning.

When he saw her fidget, he realized he was being ignored.

"Sakura, look. I know how strong you are. And I know you can beat my ass for no reason at all. So when I said I didn't want to hurt you, I wasn't saying you were weak." That confession caught her attention. At that moment, she turned her head, ever so slightly, towards his direction. That's all he needed to know she was listening. When he opened his mouth, he was surprised when she started to speak.

"Then what was it? Maybe I'm being a bit petty, but that really hit home, Naruto. My best friend told me he didn't want to hurt me, yet he's the one I go to for encouragement on how I've grown out of my weaknesses." Another page was turned. He sighed and took a step closer to her.

"I didn't want to hurt you because I know your secret." She raised an eyebrow. It was those types of things he said that put her off to talking to him while he's making a confession. But deciding on figuring out what secret she had, she went along with it…for the moment.

"My…secret." He moved closer and knelt beside her. He wrapped an arm around her side and let his head nudge her face. Now it was probably wrong to be a bit freaked out by the seemingly normal gesture, but she was. But she figured the world wasn't all wrong when she heard another page turn.

"Sakura-chan, I know you're going to have a baby!"

And the room got _eerily_ silent. It was sad when the simplest acts can reassure you. Something like a page turning. That's what she needed right now. But she didn't hear it, and silently wondered what the _hell_ was going on.

It was about another minute or two before Naruto released her.

"I'm…pregnant? Why would I…pregnant? I don't…understand—"

"Sakura-chan just let it out. We all know your secret now! I mean, it was pretty obvious. Your mood swings, crying at odd moments, your insanity, even the fact that you've gained more than a few pounds—!"

"Why the _hell_ would you think I'm pregnant, you idiot?" It happened pretty fast for a "pregnant" woman. How she got up from her position and turned on her heel, just catching his face with her fist at the right moment to make him fly far enough. How the sound of her coffee table shattering to pieces satisfied her so much, it should've been criminal. How Kakashi's book was laid open on the ground and his eyes were widened enough for her to catch it for that split-second. And how Sasuke, poor Sasuke, was incidentally sitting on the couch in front of the coffee table. With Naruto flying, he was pushed to the floor.

Rolling her eyes in pleasure, she slipped over the couch and laid herself down. Sakura started to trace a pattern on the pillow beneath her head. She was somewhat soothed by the silence now. Letting the knuckles of her right hand rub against Kakashi's shirt, her legs folded together…it was nice, somehow. She exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes.

"I'm not pregnant, Naruto. I don't know how such a thought even formed in your mind." Then her eyes snapped open. "If I was pregnant? Why would make me jump into freezing cold water, anyways?" It was almost comical how tears were streaming down Naruto's face. That probably stung, too. She saw there were bags under his eyes that were staring to bruise black, and his cheek was already turning purple. Sasuke was laying face-down on the floor. It didn't even look like he was breathing…But that's a matter for later.

"S-Sakura-chan," He choked out. "We-We saw you yesterday in that short little dress, and all week you've been spending nights with him, so I thought…" She hummed.

"What I wear is none of your concern. And I told you I didn't have sex with him. I'm not going to have sex with him, and that's just it."

"Sakura-chan, why?" Kakashi's ears perked up at this. Why? Why wouldn't she have sex with him? I mean, he's not complaining. Ren is a sleazebag. But still, she could if she wanted to. He heard her sigh.

"Because, Naruto." She drawled. He swallowed. This was going to be good. "I'm not going to have sex until I'm married." And he almost choked. What kind of life does she expect to live? No sex? Damn.

"…Oh…Sorry Sakura-chan." He watched as a frown appeared on her face, and one of her legs slipped off of the couch.

"Sasuke, get up." She started to poke his behind with her toe. "I understand you want sympathy, but this isn't funny." Another poke. When she didn't get any movement in response, she quickly rolled off the couch and to his side. When she rolled him over, she saw a knot the size of a baseball on his forehead. He must've hit it on the coffee table after he was knocked out of his seat.

She placed a hand on his forehead and it started to glow. It was sad, really. Sasuke was collateral damage. If he was a _real_ ninja, he would've known not to sit on the couch, right behind Sakura and Naruto. Especially in the middle of an argument.

She wasn't about to apologize for his stupidity when he regains consciousness.

* * *

><p>"What I don't understand is, why the <em>fuck<em> would you go and say she was pregnant? And then on top of that, say she was fat!" Sasuke shouted, wincing as he put the frozen bag of peas back on his forehead.

"Well all the facts are there. I just put two and two together." He turned his head and glared, though Naruto probably couldn't see it, what with the large bag of peas covering most of his face.

"Hey Sasuke, what's in those bags you brought?" Sakura said as Kakashi painted another toenail red.

"Oh that?" He said as he looked to the food that lay forgotten under the pile of her broken coffee table. "Those are dumplings." Her eyes widened.

"What kind?" He leaned back and let the peas sit on his face.

"Syrup-coated." She felt her mouth water and licked her lips.

"Is there berry sauce in there?" He nodded. Her favorite.

"It was supposed to be a peace offering, but then Naruto went and opened his damn mouth." She was about to move a foot off the couch to get up, but then she remembered Kakashi.

"Can you hold on a bit?" He looked at her briefly, and his attention went back to finishing her right foot.

"No." She frowned. He was taking this bet way too seriously.

"Kakashi, it's just five more toes. I'm sure you can wait a few seconds for me to eat." He shook his head and applied clear polish to her big toe.

"I have to finish now or the drying will be uneven." She raised an eyebrow. That's pretty creepy.

"Okay, do you have a foot fetish or something? 'Cause you're taking painting my nails a bit too far." When she was done with partially healing Sasuke's knot, she bet Kakashi on when he's going to wake up. Kakashi said ten minutes, and she said seven minutes. He said she never gave him that back massage, and she claimed that she was too lazy to paint her nails. When Sasuke woke up seven minutes later, she brought out the nail polish and Kakashi started on her fingernails.

"I don't know why you paint your nails, anyway. You're a Kunoichi—"

"I'm not a Kunoichi." She stated point blankly.

"You're a woman." He said, going back to the tones he used to teach them when they were younger. "That means—"

"No it doesn't." He frowned. She was a woman, which meant she was a Kunoichi. Why was she saying otherwise?

"Sakura," He saw her eyes narrow as she snatched her foot from his grasp.

"Just shut-up." She scooted back and swung her legs off of the couch. Getting up, she stalked over to the broken pieces of her coffee table and took the two white bags from underneath it. He watched in confusion as she stomped to her room and slammed the door.

"What the hell…" Kakashi trailed off. He slowly capped the nail polish and placed it on the floor. As he got up, he briefly wondered whether or not he should follow her to her room. She could hurt him, but then again, the grudge that's going to form, because he didn't apologize for whatever the hell he did, would be worse.

Noticing that Naruto and Sasuke were otherwise preoccupied, he walked to the door of her room and slowly knocked.

"Go away!" He jiggled the knob and found that to be locked as well. Wait. He was a ninja. Doorknobs were nothing to ninja. He smiled and placed his fingertips on the surface of the knob.

"Damn it!" He shook his hand. When he looked at it again, the parts that weren't covered by his fingerless gloves were red…and burnt. "What the hell did you do to the door?" He shouted as he flexed his fingers painfully.

"Shut-_up!"_ She yelled back. He sighed. He really did hope it would never have to come down to this. There would be some very serious consequences involved, but really, who was he to question himself now? Sakura was in another one of her moods, and those never really sat well with him. Well, that was partly because he was the cause for those moods most of the time, and they never ended well.

Pulling out a kunai, he made a hand-seal.

* * *

><p>Kakashi is officially the epitome, of an ass.<p>

She angrily dipped another dumpling into the berry sauce and stuffed it into her mouth.

She didn't know why she got upset. The word just set her off somehow. And then Kakashi, _insisting_ she was a Kunoichi made it worse. By definition, yes. She was a, "Kunoichi". But not really. Women, at least respectable women, shouldn't adhere to that word. Kunoichi this, and Kunoichi that. She's a ninja, damn it! Men were such sexist pigs, that they had to place women in a _whole_ new category. They're so superior, and manly, and strong—Her _ass._ She was capable, and strong, _and_ superior. And by God if she doesn't show it every day…

She stuffed another syrup-and-berry-covered dumpling in her mouth. She frowned as she chewed.

Kakashi was one of them. To him, women were good for sex, and maybe in the long-run, children. Not for partners, or captains, or leaders…But didn't he just ask her to be captain of their man-to-man and she refused?

She shook her head.

That wasn't the point. Kakashi liked to lead. He was an alpha male, and that was just that. He placed every woman in the category 'Kunoichi' and every man in the category 'Ninja'. And she didn't like it one bit. Okay, so she's never been _that _sensitive to the word. Something in her just clicked. Back before the Shodai Hokage, _Kunoichi_ were tools for getting information. They were only called for missions of or pertaining to seduction, and even then they couldn't kill their target. She's never given it a second thought before. All those books she's ever read on the history of Shinobi never really hit her.

She couldn't really explain why it hit her now, but it did. And she didn't like it. She was never going to classify herself as a Kunoichi again. She was a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. And that was it.

She heard a knock on the door and gripped her knee.

"Go away!" The bastard will never give up, will he? She told him before, she wasn't going to hold a grudge. Yet he was too afraid to wait and see what _would _happen.

Funny, she was just complaining about women being underestimated and categorized, and here she was being feared and she didn't really like it.

"Damn it!" Ah. He must've been burnt by her chakra. It was really cool actually, how she— "What the hell did you do to the door?" He shouted.

"Shut-_up!"_ She threw her empty bag of food where he presumably was, but it didn't go far. She frowned and grabbed the second bag from behind her and opened it. She opened the take out box that was inside and dipped another dumpling in berry sauce.

Everything he did just pissed her off these days. And she _hated_ to be pissed. Because of that, she was going to make everyone's life a living hell until her mood passed. Usually, it worked.

But then she saw a cloud of smoke, and her anger flared.

"Sakura, I don't know what's wrong with you—" He pissed her off on purpose, didn't he? He just _knew_ that would make her angry. He loves seeing her angry! So she was going to show him her anger. She grabbed the lamp off her nightstand, pulling it's plug out of the socket in the process, and threw it in his direction.

Yeah, she was probably going to have to heal it later, but for now, she was going to enjoy it. She heard the lamp shatter and figured he dodged it. So she grabbed whatever was in her reach next, which seemed to be a…pen. Hm. Stabbing. She liked to stab.

"Sakura, stop!" You can't grab a pen like you can grab a kunai. Pens are very small. That's what she liked about them. She liked them even more when she heard Kakashi hiss. Hopefully, she got him in the hand. Or even his face, if she was lucky.

She quickly found out that throwing things at him was making her happy. And she would do _whatever_ it takes to make her mood pass. But she was running out of furniture, so she quickly turned and grabbed her pillows. She had a lot, so she wasn't going to let up.

"I didn't want to do this, Sakura." Too late. She was being pulled back by her wrists and slammed into the headboard. Hard. When she tried to pull away, she found her wrists were bound by chakra wire that not even she could break out of by strength alone.

"You bastard!" She spat. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Her foot sprung out, but he was too far away. She heard a light chuckle and glared.

"Sakura, look. Whatever I did, I'm sorry." Her frowned turned into a straight line. "Now that I apologized, could you please tell me exactly what it is I did?" She let out a breath and her head fell.

"You're an ass." She saw his head tilt to the side. He was about to open his mouth. "I'm not done." She let out a deep sigh and made a move to play with his shirt, but all she got in return was the sound of the bed creaking. This made her frown. "You and all the other men of the ninja world are asses because you think all women are Kunoichi. We're not." He scratched the back of his neck in confusion.

"I didn't understand it when you said that five minutes ago. In a means to prevent you from trying to kill me again, I'm going to silently ask you to explain." She raised her head and rolled her eyes. Typical men.

"Kunoichi of the 'Olden Days'," She used her fingers to make air quotes, "Were only used to get information via seduction. Not killing, or information gathering, or interrogation. Just our breasts, and our asses. That's all they needed."

"Ah. All you want me to do is call you a ninja, right?" She smiled and nodded her head. He was an ass, but he wasn't stupid.

"That's all." She continued to smile and nod her head. Kakashi shook his.

"Sakura, I think you have more psychological problems than you're letting on." And she froze. She felt the urge to throw something, but then again, she _should've_ asked him to untie her about four seconds ago. It would've made all the difference.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm perfectly fine, you bastard!" He sighed. Again with the name calling. She has a very limited vocabulary, well, at least with him. Words like 'Bastard' and 'Stupid man', and even 'Baka', seem to show themselves a lot in their conversations.

"I'm just saying you might need a little help." She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "You've never had a problem with the word before, Sakura. The fact that you got this mad because I tried to call you a Kunoichi proves that." He held up his gloved right hand…that had a black pen stabbed right through the middle. She briefly smiled at her work.

"Kakashi, I'm telling you. I'm just fine. I've been sleeping, and Naruto said I gained a few pounds, so I must be eating _something_. Touch my hair." The hand that wasn't currently incapacitated slowly grabbed a piece of her hair. She didn't flinch. Another sigh escaped him as he let his hand drop.

"That's not it, Sakura." Her eyes narrowed as another frown marred her face. Ino was right; if she kept doing that, she was going to get horrible wrinkles.

"Then what is it? _Enlighten_ me." His eyes trailed to the ceiling in thought.

"Well, for starters, how did you feel at the Exchange?" When they got back down to her, he saw her frown turned into a scowl.

"How do _you_ think I felt, smart ass? The Kusakage pestering me—"

"What?" Her eye twitched.

"_The Kusakage pestering me—"_ He rolled his eyes.

"I heard you, I just don't quite understand…" Her lip turned upwards into a snarl. Her facial expressions were really getting to him.

"What is there not to understand? I think I put pretty simple words in there," He sighed.

"Sakura, the Kusakage wasn't at the Exchange." Her head jerked back.

"What do you mean he wasn't there? I was talking to him! He _had_ to be there." Kakashi pursed his lips and shook his head.

"No, Sakura…he wasn't."

"Yes he was." Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows. Now that was just childish.

"He wasn't." She shook her head. He was sure she would cross her arms and pout, given the opportunity. Luckily, he didn't untie her yet.

"Yeah-huh." He wiped his free hand down his face. He wasn't going to sit here and have at it with her like a kid. He wasn't a kid. He wasn't.

"_No,_ he wasn't."

"He was there you bastard!" She didn't have much patience, but neither did he.

"How 'bout you let the person who _wasn't_ stuck in a genjutsu tell you what's real, and what isn't!" Her mouth shut.

"I was…stuck in a genjutsu?" He was sure she would at least know that what she was seeing wasn't real, right? Because whatever made her snap like that had to be horrible.

"You just stood there. We couldn't tell until it was too late. Katsumi did the same thing she did last time." She frowned.

"You guys...kept dying. I couldn't tell what was real, and what wasn't. Actually, reality is still a bit twisted to me, so…" Kakashi sighed. She really did have more problems than she was showing.

"Do you need some help, Sakura? The Anbu therapist—"

"No." She stated firmly. "I'm not crazy. And if _you_ of all people start to believe that I am, I'm going to start losing faith in myself." If Kakashi deemed her a lost cause, then all of her hope was gone. It was just that plain and simple. She looked down. "Did I kill them? All of them?"

"No. You killed two of the ninja that were there, but Nao and Katsumi ran." Sakura sighed. She was really a handful.

"War's here, isn't it?" She said in a solemn voice. Kakashi turned his head to stare at the wall.

"Yeah." She bit her lip. She should've controlled herself. This whole mess could've been avoided. Just look at the state she's put her Village in now. Konoha has barely recovered from Pein's invasion, let alone the last war. And here they were, about to have another one. And Grass was so good with politics. They were going to recruit the countries that Fire never cared about. Countries like Snow, Earth, and even Bear.

She really doubts that the Allied Shinobi Forces will team up to fight again. Not since the last war was basically because of the person who originated from Konoha. Uchiha Madara. And now, Konoha went and let two of their best ninja fuck up a simple mission, which led to disaster, and eventually a war.

Yeah. Because that will go over _so_ well at the Five Kage Council. She sighed.

"Can you untie me now? This is starting to hurt." He turned back to her and smiled. She found that she never liked that smile.

"Nah. I think I'll just let you sit there and think about what you did." He said holding up his injured hand again. She rolled her eyes.

"Stop being such a girl. Just pull it out already!" He turned his hand sideways. She flinched.

"I've got…good aim." She saw that the pen went straight through his hand. Right in the middle. And that, was some damn good aim. But then she noticed the red stains on his dark blue gloves and her eyes widened. "You stupid man! Untie me so you don't lose blood!" And then the idiot waved her off with his pen-impaled hand.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. This is nothing compared to a kunai. Thank Kami, you didn't have any of those laying around." She smiled sheepishly. It was his fault in the first place for barging in on her like that. But then…how did he get in?

"How the hell did you get in here?" He gave her his famous eye crease.

"Naruto set up some of sensei's kunai in here." She watched as he pulled out a Flying Thunder God kunai. "He happened to have given me one the day I made jonin, so…" She wrestled against her bonds.

"So it was you _and_ Naruto! Bastards," She started to mutter under her breath. "Knowing you, you probably stole my underwear or something." He frowned and his eyes trailed down from her face. "What're you looking at?" She said accusingly, ducking her head lower to avert his attention. He pointed at her.

"Is that my shirt? Because it's really big on you, and it looks like my shirt." Her back straightened. She started to laugh nervously.

"No, no…This uh, got bigger…in the wash." Kakashi frowned, not believing her one bit.

"You know, ninja don't get a whole lot of uniforms for free. And the fabric is already running—Sakura, you ruined my shirt!" She rolled her eyes.

"It's a little piece of string, calm down! This shirt already had my blood in it. You might as well give it to me."

"Then I'll have to get a new one." He stated matter-of-factly.

"You've been doing fine so far without it…" She trailed off.

"Sakura, those uniforms cost money. It'll cost even more to get a shirt _without_ the set!" She pursed her lips.

"You act like you're poor!" Another sigh. His eyes trailed further down. She quickly shut her legs. _"What_ are you looking for?"

"Are you wearing panties?" Heat rose to her cheeks.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She said angrily. The nerve…

"What color?" Her eye twitched.

"Kakashi, I don't like you." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't like you either." She cocked her head.

"I have a _boyfriend_." He frowned at this. Ren. Her "Boyfriend" who didn't really act like a boyfriend, because he was a total bastard.

"I know that." She frowned again.

"Untie me now, or I'll kill you." He sighed. Knowing that this threat would be carried out, he pulled out a kunai from his pouch. He sent his chakra through it, then used it to cut the wires. She flexed her hands. "Thank-you. Now let's get out of here. I don't want them getting any ideas." He nodded.

"Of course not." She shut her open takeout box and stuffed it back in the bag. She then crawled off of her bed and waited for Kakashi to do the same.

"You know," He said as he walked over to her and slung an arm over her shoulders. "I can teach you something new with that aim of yours," She lit up. She hasn't gone training in like…forever! She's going to take advantage of this opportunity. She then frowned, remembering the dinner they had tomorrow.

"But my mother, she'll kill me if we just skip." They walked over to the door.

"We'll do it in the morning then." She smiled. She hasn't trained in a while, let alone with Kakashi. It was much needed. Especially since she's gained a few pounds. And for a ninja, that was just not acceptable. She opened the door. They weren't going to fit through it with Kakashi's arm around her like this, and he seemed very adamant of walking through the door, she turned sideways.

"Ah!" And then tripped over a stack of pillows.

_Great._ She thought. _I'm a ninja, yet I can't avoid a stupid stack of pillows. _It was sad, really. And it just served to prove why she needed that training he promised.

"Ouch." She just had to be the one to land under him. And she would be sure to push the blame on Kakashi. Because if he would've just moved, they could avoid yet another compromising situation.

"Yeah. You really need that training." She smiled.

"Shut-up." She started to laugh as she saw his lips turn into a smile. Now she really felt back to normal. It was another uncomfortable moment, yes. But that's just what they were together. Uncomfortable.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" She looked up with widened eyes as she heard a familiar voice come closer. Yeah. She really needed that training if she couldn't even hear a door open and close.

"Ren…Hey…" She said as she looked at him from an upside-down view. When her attention turned back to Kakashi, he quickly got up and extended a hand.

"Again. What the _fuck_ are you two doing?"

Oh boy.

* * *

><p><em>I'm so, so, so, sorry. I know, I've been MIA for the past week, but please forgive me. I made this chapter a bit longer as an apology! I'm actually pretty proud with the way this turned out through my on-and-off again bouts of writers block. Don't worry, Clash will <em>_**not**__discontinue. I love it too much. Well, that's all! And I'll try to have the next chap up faster! __**Only**__ if you review! Blackmail, yes I know. _

_-Keoo19_


	13. Blindness

**Blindness**

_Revised_

* * *

><p>"We have <em>nothing!<em> Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because it's not _true!"_

She grabbed the comforters and pulled them to her face. "Ugh!" She screamed. It wasn't hard to take in. She fell, that was it. There was nothing before that, or after that. She pulled the comforters off of her face and crawled off of the bed. She proceeded to stomp out of the room, and heard his footsteps follow behind her. The loud noises his boots made were hard to ignore. His boots, which by the way, he was supposed to have taken off at the door. Yet here he was, stomping around and scuffing up her floors. He obviously didn't know how long it took her to get scuff marks out of wooden floors.

She stalked through the narrow hallway and back into the living room. He was there when she grabbed the remote and angrily pressed the OFF button. He was there when she started to push the remnants of her coffee table off to the side so she wouldn't get tempted to throw something at him. And unsurprisingly, he was there when she bent over to unplug the radiator and stuff it back in the closet.

He was there, and she was angry.

She wasn't going to let up on her anger, either. It was a simple fall between two friends. That's _it._ But then coercing her to talk to her in private, to which she refused of course, and then pushing her teammates out of the door (Not literally, because she knew Naruto would have a fit)? That was too much. Why exactly her teammates had to leave, she didn't know.

It just wasn't fair. He's living in _her_ house, yet _he _was pushing her guests out of the door. Sakura was angry because the idiots that she grew up with? They came _first._ She's been treating them like shit all week, and the one day she wants to have a nice evening with them, everything goes straight to hell. And now, he was demanding that she and Kakashi had something!

Really, what kind of shit is that?

Never in a million years would she consider Kakashi as someone to date. Never. He was handsome, and polite when he wanted to be, but the superiority complex on that man left _much_ to be desired. She could never live with someone who felt he should lead all the time. Someone who was late to everything, sometimes with good cause and others because he just liked seeing people pissed. Someone who used his authority to make his subordinates life a living _hell._ He was a complete enigma, that man. And that was a puzzle she did _not_ want to solve.

She threw the dishes in the sink and then grabbed the edges. "Ren, what do you want me to tell you?" Tears began to well up in her eyes as she felt his arms snake around her middle as he came up behind her.

"I just want to know," He whispered. "Your relationship with him." She turned her head and felt his lips on her eyes.

"I already told you that. He was my teacher, and now he is my captain." She paused. "Was." She felt his breath fan across her face as he sighed. It smelled of sake, and that was really unappealing. She ducked under his arm and hurriedly wiped the falling tears from her eyes. On her walk to the bedroom, she thought about why she should be with a man who questions her relationships with her best friends. That was just _wrong._ But deep down, she knew Ren had good intentions. He was right to be suspicious. If she wanted to, she could leave him for anyone of her teammates. But that's if she _wanted_ to. It would never happen, though.

This time she ignored the sound of his boots following her. But she knew that when she heard that door close, the coming conversation was inevitable. She knelt on the bed and gave him a hard stare as he walked over to the other side. She heard him pull off his boots first, and then she heard him sigh. Her attention averted to the closet.

"Look, Sakura. I'm not trying to tear you away from your friends, or accuse you of anything. But isn't it right if I know _something_ about my lover's comrades?" That word could _not_ explain their relationship. They weren't lovers, because lovers had sex. And they didn't, and they weren't. She frowned.

"Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you." Sakura said. But she wasn't so sure if she should've. Kakashi and Sakura halve done some pretty questionable things together, and he could get angered by any one of them, to tell the truth. Not that she cares, though. It's just that, if he gets angry, then that's going to involve some yelling on her part, and that's just a lot of work these days.

"What's your background with him?" Ren asked. She sighed. She went through this already.

"He was my genin sensei. When I was a Chunin, we were on a team together. When was a jonin, we were still on a team together. I became a field medic so that I could go on missions with them. Then two years ago, he sponsored me for Anbu. All that time in lockdown, I think we've gotten closer. I can't honestly say I know everything about him, though. He's pretty secretive, and barely opens up to anyone." _But he did open up,_ She thought. _He opened up to me._ "We're partners, is all." He laid down with his hands behind his head. His jacket was splayed around him and his shirt was unbuttoned. If he thinks an open display of his body was going to get her to forgive him, he was wrong.

"Did you date?" She snorted.

"Date? Hatake Kakashi? Ha! I wouldn't _date_ him if he was the last man on earth." She finished with a roll of her eyes. He hummed.

"Did you kiss him?" Silence. "Sakura?" She pressed her lips together. She didn't expect it to go _this_ far.

"Um…no?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and he was on her like a dog.

"You're lying again. Why can't you just tell me the truth?" A sigh escaped her.

"It's not as easy as pie to say you've kissed a thirty-something year-old man, Ren." He let out a laugh. This was supposed to be funny?

"I'm sure other people have done worse." Then his laugh ended abruptly. "But if you didn't date, why'd you kiss?" She frowned.

"What the hell is this, anyways? Twenty Questions?"

"Sakura," He warned. Another sigh came from her lips.

"Yes, we kissed, you bastard. The first time it was the heat of the moment." When she got captured, "The next few times…it was…to prove something?" She said with confusion. "I don't know, really." And she doesn't. That night got out of hand, and it'll never happen again. It was his fault anyways. He called her out, and she's not just going to sit there when he does.

"Okay…have you slept together?" Her head jerked back.

"What? No!" She put a hand over her mouth. "Wait…" He shot up.

"Sakura!" She waved her hands.

"In one sense of the word, yes. Yes we have." He frowned

"And in what sense of the word is that?" He said with narrowed eyes. She tapped a finger on her chin.

"We've slept together, but we haven't actually _slept_ together. Get it?" He fell back down to the bed.

"Whose shirt is that?" She froze. The shirt. The stupid shirt.

"It's…mine…" She watched him grab his head and sigh.

"No, Sakura it's not. You're lying to me…_again._ Minutes after the fact, even." A frown appeared on her face as she looked down to the jonin shirt she was wearing.

"It's Kakashi's." He groaned.

"I'm not even going to ask why you have his shirt. It's just another mystery that you'll never tell me, right?" He asked rhetorically as both her eyebrows raised.

"Mystery?"

"Look. I just don't want you to keep things from me. And it seems like that's your sole purpose. Especially about those guys." She turned around to face him.

"What do you mean 'those guys'?" She asked accusingly. "My teammates? Is that who your referring to as _those guys?_" She was upset now, and she had every right to be. He knew their names! He's being a jerk. A stupid, bastard of a jerk.

"I _mean_, you have a weird fixation to them, and it bothers me." Her eyes narrowed.

"Of course I have a fixation to them! They're my _teammates—_!"

"Yeah, Sakura, that's the excuse you have for everything. And it's really getting old." He drawled. Sakura was taken aback. Excuse for everything?

"No it's not! And either way, I've known them all my life!" He wiped his hands down his face and her head snapped back.

"I know you have. I _know_ you have. It's just annoying—"

"Annoying? _Annoying?_ It's annoying to hear about my teammates. To hear about my _life."_ He shook his head with his hands pressed over his eyes.

"I hear about them all the time! Teammates. That is probably _the most_ used word in your vocabulary. And it's getting annoying listening about your past adventures! Yeah, you've known them all your life, but you make it seem like you have to spend every waking minute with them." He growled. She ran her hands through her hair.

"So this is how you feel?" She said, as more tears started to form in her eyes. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering. He sat up and faced the wall.

"I just want…to spend some time with you, Sakura. That's it." He replied wearily.

"I've been spending time with you! All week I've been with you, treating them like shit! Don't you think I should have one night with them?" She shouted with her hands fisted in the sheets.

"You've been spending nights with them your whole life! We have one week together and you already want to get away from me! I just want to spend some time with my goddamned girlfriend. And here you are _lying _to me back and forth—"

"I wasn't lying!" She couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks. She placed a hand over her mouth as her shoulders quietly shook.

"Cling to them, Sakura. Go cling to your _teammates._ I'm going to fucking bed." She watched with blurry vision as he angrily pulled the covers from under him and wrapped them around his body. She felt the wetness of her mouth and shook her head.

Slowly crawling off of the bed, she pushed her hair, most of which was sticking to her face, behind her back and walked to the door. She took a glance back before closing it behind her.

Sakura took this time to go to the bathroom. After locking the door, she fell to her knees and realized that she hasn't cried like this in a long time.

She let the tears flow freely, and the sobs that escaped her mouth were quiet as her body shook.

* * *

><p>"I don't know, Sasuke." Naruto twirled the kunai in his hand.<p>

"_What do you mean?" _He replied. Letting the weapon stop, he rotated his finger the other way.

"The way we left, maybe we shouldn't have. I mean, their argument was pretty heated with us there." Naruto said unsure. They let themselves out, but that was only because Sakura looked ready to bash heads in.

"_Sakura can take care of herself, can't she? If Ren does anything, she'll be on him in a second. There's nothing to worry about." _He replied reassuringly. He knew that Sakura could take care of herself. But he still had every right to be worried. Switching the phone to his other ear, he turned and propped his boots up on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah, I know. What do you think sensei?" Naruto heard faint breathing on the other line and sighed. "Sensei, wake up!"

"_Yes, yes. Whatever you were talking about." _Kakashi said, the sleepiness not hidden in his voice. Another sigh from Naruto.

"I _said_ the way we had to leave. Haruno was pretty pissed, and I'm a bit worried." He heard a yawn on the other end. Most likely coming from Kakashi.

"_Mhm. Well, that's pretty much your problem, because I'm positive Sakura can handle it." _Kakashi smacked his lips. _"So, uh…we've been on the phone for a while, and I don't know why. I haven't used this thing in ages, or ever, I don't really know. I found it in the back of a closet and it's dusty. I have allergies. Really severe cases—"_

"Sensei, you have a mask. I don't think dust can get through that." There was silence. Kakashi knew he was caught in his lie—_again_—and thought quick to think of a new one.

"_Yes, well…I don't have my mask on right now."_ Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Sasuke, what do you think we should do? I want to make sure she's okay, but I don't want to get up." He was really comfortable where he was, actually. Flipping the kunai around in his hand was very relaxing, and he was in a great position on a comfy couch. He's worried, but the value of comfort was worth more to him at the moment.

"_Look, Naruto. Didn't you already get her upset by looking down on her? And now you want to do it again by implying she can't hold her own?" _Sasuke was smart. He wasn't going to get into any fights he knew he couldn't win.

"_Do what you want, Naruto." _Kakashi started. _"But I want you to know I'm not going to dig you out of the hole you've dug yourself in." _Naruto frowned. It didn't matter. What if something was actually wrong? Then what would happen if they _didn't_ call and Sakura was in trouble? It was unlikely, but it could very well happen. That fact alone had him taking the phone off of his ear and dialing the too-familiar number. _"Wait, Naruto." _Kakashi said with panic in his voice.

"What?" He answered as the phone was put back to his ear and he started to hear the dial tones.

"_You're paying for this four-way call, right?"_

* * *

><p>Hearing the phone ring, Sakura slowly pulled herself up from her position on the tiled floor. When she felt her face, she could make out the outlines of the salt trails. Her nose was still a bit tender from the sniffing, though.<p>

She walked over to her cabinet and pulled out the telephone. Why she had a telephone in the bathroom, she couldn't even answer herself. She then pressed the TALK button without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" She croaked, less than appealingly.

"_Haruno?" _Her eyes widened as she quickly covered the mouth of the phone. She cleared her throat before putting it back to her ear.

"Hey, Naruto." Her voice was still small, but it would have to do. She lowered herself back down to her knees and started to trace the lines of the tiles.

"_It's not just me, it's Sasuke too. And Kakashi." _She raised an eyebrow at this.

"Kakashi?" Finding some dirt, she started to scrape away at it with her nail.

"_I don't know why I'm on the phone either, to tell you the truth. It was in the back of my closet, it's really dusty, and I have allergies, so…" _Sakura sighed at his stupidity.

"Kakashi, you have a mask. Dust bunnies can't penetrate it. You bragged about it last year, calling it the 'Super Mask'." She heard him curse silently as a small laugh came out of her lips.

"_I'm not wearing a mask." _Sakura rolled her eyes. Typical.

"_So, Sakura. Are you alright?" _It was only a little bit, but she heard the concern that came through from Sasuke's voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied. She heard someone click their tongue.

"_You sound like you've been crying."_ Naruto pointed out. She swallowed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The tiles were really dirty. Someone should look into that.

"I haven't been crying." She pushed her bang aside before her hand went back down to the tiles. Why was everyone grilling her today?

"_Sakura?"_ It was Kakashi's voice this time. And then she just couldn't hold it in. The first tear fell, and with it went the dirt that she scraped away on the tiles. Trapped in a little bubble of salt water.

"I-I'm sorry. W-we had a fight—"

"_Fight? I'll kill him, Sakura."_ Naruto said in a deep baritone. She shook her head.

"No, no. It was an argument, and—"

"_Argument? Did he put his hands on you?" _Sasuke growled. Another shake of her head.

"No, Sasuke. It was just about me and Kakashi's incident." More tears incased the dirt that she's been scraping up for the past few minutes.

"_What the hell did he say, then?"_ Kakashi replied. His voice more subdued than theirs, but she still heard a hint of anger.

"I-I think…he's right." She said before biting her lip. The fresh tears were coming, and she didn't want them to hear her crying. They would rush over and make a mountain out of a molehill. Sure they fought, but every couple has fights. And the points he brought up were very much true. Besides, she _wants_ this relationship with Ren. She _wants_ to be with someone other than Naruto and Sasuke, and sometimes, even Kakashi.

"_What did he say, Sakura."_ Kakashi growled this time. Sakura let out a shaky sigh and balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder. She gripped the edges of her knees as she bent over to get a hold of her tears.

"He said that I'm always with you guys. He wants me to spend more time with him, because I'm his girlfriend. But he's right. I'm too clingy. And I'm going to try to stop saying teammates all the time. He doesn't like that." She said in a small voice. She heard a groan.

"_Sakura, you sound like someone in an abusive relationship. Tell me, **did he put his hands on you?**_**" **Kakashi said, even darker than before. She moved the phone to her other ear and let her forehead touch her knees.

"_Did he say that, Sakura? That you were clingy?" _Naruto added.

"_That bastard,"_ Sasuke said with a curse.

"Yeah, but I am, Naruto. I was with him just a week and I'm already running back to you guys. He's my boyfriend; I should be with him more." She said. All the reasons that she went to Anbu…wiped clean. She still clings to her teammates, depends on them so much, yet she's become more capable. And now someone was snapping her back to reality again. Naruto wasn't her life. She could be without Sasuke, and Kakashi wasn't one for social interactions himself. She needs to back off. She _needs_ to.

There was silence on the phone, and she thought that they had hung up on her.

"Hello?" A pause.

"_You need to break up with him."_ Her eyes widened.

"What? Kakashi—"

"_Sakura, I'm telling you, this guy is no good. He shouldn't be treating you like this." _Kakashi wasn't one to butt his head in other people's relationships, but here he was, doing it now. Sakura shook her head.

"No. He's good for me, Kakashi. I know it." She was telling them more than she was telling herself. Just because they had one fight didn't mean she should give up on him. Everyone has their quirks. She's never seen him lash out like that…not at her. So that was his. When things bother him, he gets angry.

"_Sakura, sensei's right. You gotta break up with Ren." _She pursed her lips. Naruto agreed with him too?

"Why would I do that? Just because we had one fight you want me to break up with him?" Her voice laced with disbelief. How could they?

"_Sakura, trust us. We know things that you can't see." _Sasuke said. Now it was all of them, and she couldn't believe it.

"What is wrong with you people? I'm not breaking up with him. I'm not. He's going to treat me better than you ever had, Sasuke. And he kisses better than you ever will, Kakashi."

"_Wait, what? Sensei, you kissed Sakura?" _Naruto said surprised.

"_What the hell happened?" _Sasuke added.

"Personally, right now, I don't give a fuck what you bastards say. Clearly, you don't care for my happiness. And it doesn't matter anyways." She scoffed. "I just can believe it."

"_Sakura, stop." _Kakashi started. _"It's because we care about you that we're telling you this. He's just not the right boyfriend."_ She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh and what, you are? You can't stop me from doing what I want. He's my—" Sakura's eyes widened as she finally cracked his plan. "You bastard! Is _that_ why you set up a dinner with mother? The nerve—I just hope this shit blows up in your face, _Kaka-sensei._" Just as she clicked the OFF button, she heard a knock on the door.

"Sakura, are you in there?" Remembering what she told them, she let go of her anger, because Ren was right.

"Yeah." She reached a hand to the doorknob and unlocked it. Letting her arm fall back down to her side, she heard the door creak open. She slowly lifted herself up, but avoided eye contact.

"Are you alright?" Ren said with concern in his voice. She withheld a snort. Is she alright? He's the one that made her cry. Again. She combed her fingers through her hair and nodded. "You're lying." He took a step forward and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her body closer.

"I know." She breathed in his scent of cinnamon. His arms wrapped around her lower back.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to barge in on your personal life, Sakura. I just want to be with you, you know? Maybe I'm jealous of them." She let his hands play with her hair as she played with the tiny black hairs that adorned his chest.

"You're right Ren." She leaned her head against his chest. "I spend way too much time with them. It's unhealthy actually, the way I talk about them all the time." He kissed the top of her forehead.

"We can do something. Just you and me. Tomorrow." He said. She frowned.

"We have the dinner tomorrow, remember?" The dinner that Kakashi set up _on purpose._ Bastard.

"Then we can go tomorrow morning." He released her and walked back out of the door. Sakura took a deep breath. Tomorrow morning. They can't do it any other day, because she's going on a mission. They can't do it when she comes back, because Ren's due back in Grass on Tuesday. But then, tomorrow morning, she was supposed to be training with Kakashi.

Since the bastard wants to act like an over-controlling jerk, she'll come when she feels like it.

She heard the door to the bedroom creak open. "Sakura, come to bed."

* * *

><p>"God, I didn't know how fun rock-climbing could be! Especially when you don't have to walk up it yourself." She smiled and squeezed Ren's hand.<p>

"You know, those were made for civilians. _They_ can't climb mountains without harnesses and ropes." Ren said with a laugh. Kakashi couldn't help but glare at the couple as they made their way towards him.

It was past 12, and he remembers saying morning. Okay, so he got there at about 10 himself, but when he saw she wasn't there…He could say that he was actually quite surprised. No. Not surprised. Disappointed. Upset, even. First, she disregarded his advice last night, and now she was standing him up.

Great. Now he was acting as if they were on a date.

She had a _boyfriend_ for goodness sake, one she intended to keep, at that. He just had to hope that dinner tonight would get rid of him. If she couldn't see past his ruse, she was going to be pissed in the end. And basically, that's what they were trying to avoid in the first place. With Sakura's newfound insanity, no one knew what she was going to do next anymore. Not that she was easy at predicting in the first place, but now they didn't even have a chance. When she punched Naruto last night, he didn't even see it coming. He's sure Naruto didn't either. Or Sasuke; the collateral damage. She seemed calm, and it seemed like one of those conversations that Sakura used her words to get her point across. But she didn't. And it surprised him as much as it surprised Naruto to get hit like that in her _home._

They had to face the facts now. Sakura was different. Not so much that they didn't recognize her, or they couldn't match certain things to her personality, because that was very much the same. It was just the little things that caught him off guard. Like how she didn't notice Ren slapping every ass in his reach Thursday night. Like how she didn't notice Ren disappear for drinks a bit too long. Or even how she didn't notice Ren _staring_ into the waitress's open shirt quite obviously. Those little things made her different. And it was because she was different that he didn't want to see her hurt.

Because eventually, she would hurt him too.

"Naruto, Sasuke," Kakashi started. They jumped back from each other, Naruto with a kunai in his hand, Sasuke with his Kusangi. "Sakura's here." She was here, but she was in no way dressed to train. He frowned as he stared at her low-cut black sweater and her very tight, very short skirt. She even had on heels. _Heels._ She clearly intended to blow him off today. And usually he would just shrug it off, but she was blowing him off with Ren. So that made him _very_ pissed.

Sighing deeply, Kakashi took a hand out of his pocket and beckoned Sakura towards him. To which of course, she released her hand from Ren's grasp and placed them on her hip. Another sigh.

"Sakura, we need to talk." Her eyes narrowed.

"No." She said as she cocked her head to the side. Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed the bridge of his nose. He then closed the space between them.

"Stop acting like a child." He bit out. But this only worsened the situation. Sakura didn't take insults lightly. So she walked closer to him.

"I don't need you to dictate what I do, you bastard." She said while poking him in the chest. "You have _nothing_ to say to me. Even if you did, it's not like I'm going to listen, anyways!" She rubbed her hands down her face. "God, why are you always out to ruin my life? I don't want _anything_ to do with you any—!"

"Haruno fucking Sakura! Seriously? _Seriously!_ Now, we can talk in private, or we can talk in front of your _boyfriend." _She bit her lip. Kakashi doesn't yell. He doesn't shout, and he barely ever raises his voice. He _certainly _doesn't call her by her full name. She turned her head and saw Ren's widened eyes. Taking his upper arm, she pulled Kakashi to another corner of the clearing.

"Why would you embarrass me like that?" She whispered harshly as she ran her hands through her hair.

"You gave me no choice! Why the hell would you pull something like that?" He growled back. She shook her head in confusion.

"Pull _what?"_ Kakashi fisted his hands in his scalp.

"Damn it, Sakura! We told you about Ren, and you completely disregarded our advice—"

"Completely disregarded? You're trying to break us up for Kami's sake! Of course I'm not going to listen to you!" He sighed. This was going to get nowhere fast. And Kakashi was a smart man. He didn't put himself into any compromising situation without fully evaluating the consequences. For instance, yesterday, he didn't let go of Sakura, knowing they would fall, making sure Ren knew to come home at 11. But he didn't expect it to go the other way. It was supposed to be in_ their_ favor.

So then what happened? They fought, Sakura cried, and then Ren apologized. Kakashi's plan went straight to hell. So now, they move to Plan B.

"Sakura, Ren is a player." Kakashi said calmly. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"What did you just say?" She growled. If she couldn't see it, then something was seriously wrong.

"Sakura, he's been making passes at the waitresses all week." Her head snapped back and he sighed. "He came home smelling like sex yester—!" Now this was embarrassing. When he decided to pick one of the training grounds near the road, he meant to show off. It's not very often anymore that people stop and stare at ninja in awe. Nowadays, it's more pointing and name-calling. But now, it seemed that he should've picked one of the training grounds further off. Because he's pretty sure there are a few watchers that gathered around in the past few seconds. With the last punch that had him hurling through one or two trees, he was sure Sakura has changed in more than a few ways.

It seemed she wasn't even done with him yet. She had a fist poised in front of her with a hand on her bicep, walking towards him. And her face looked pretty pissed, so that was never a good sign.

"What's your deal?" She growled as she stood above him. Kakashi let his head fall against the tree trunk he was currently resting on.

"I'm telling the truth. Why would I lie?" He answered. And he doesn't have a reason to. He won't benefit from Sakura breaking up with Ren. Other than the fact that he'll see her underwear again, but besides that, no benefit.

"The one time that I'm happy, you try to ruin it for me? Kakashi, all I want is to be in a relationship. One that has no previous turmoil at that. I've had so much fun this past week…" She tipped her head back and smiled. "Damn. I think I might be falling in love again. But I really think he's the right guy. It's just the littlest thing he does, you know? Like _apologize._ Stuff that you bastards don't do! God, he's just so perfect, Kakashi." She sat cross-legged in front of him and let her healing chakra flow from his leg to his bruised and swollen face. At least she was conscious enough of her actions to heal him.

"Sakura," He whispered. He didn't mean for this to happen. He didn't mean for Sakura to get captured, or have a fling with Ren in captivity. He didn't expect Ren to come back to their village, and he certainly didn't expect Sakura to fall in love. That just makes everything worse. Now, she's going to end up with a broken heart. Again. And who knows what she's going to demand out of him this time?

"I didn't want to. I really didn't. He has a past with women, and Nao told me to stay away from him. But he's just so sweet on me." She let out a deep sigh as Kakashi felt her warm chakra start to repair his tissues. "It's nice being pampered, Kakashi. And I don't want to admit it, but I'm in love." Kakashi frowned. This could _not_ be happening.

"It's been a week. How could you be in love?" He questioned. She glared at him.

"A week, three months, and a _day."_ She corrected. When she felt her job was done, she patted his leg and stood. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. But I just can't listen to you this time." With that, she walked back to Ren. He closed his eyes.

So much for Plan B.

* * *

><p>"Look," Ren said as he wrapped an arm around Kakashi's shoulders. Much to his chagrin, of course. "I just wanted to know what's going on." Kakashi narrowed his eyes.<p>

"Ren, is it?" Kakashi started as he calmly plucked his arm off of his shoulder, "I don't know what your deal is, but we have nothing going on." He tried to walk away, but felt another hand on his shoulder and sighed. Their talk so far was pretty awkward. Ren thought it was his place to drill him on Sakura's likes and dislikes, and what Kakashi sees in her. Really, he's not even attracted. He sees _nothing._ Especially after that last punch, to which his face was still sore.

"You see, I'm an interrogator, and I'm not stupid. You two have something going on behind the scenes." Another sigh from Kakashi. This was getting old.

"Okay. You've got a girlfriend. I understand completely." He said with the movement of his hands. "So of course you have to scare off any potential suitors trying to steal her away. But trust me, you've got the wrong guy." Ren raised an eyebrow at this.

"No." No? "That's not right. You planned that fall last night. Obviously, you have something for her." Kakashi frowned and placed a hand over his eyes. It was a joke. There's always so much tension between the two of them nowadays, so he planned the fall. A minor detail, something that shouldn't have even meant anything. And didn't. But Ren was making it out to seem like Kakashi planned to overturn the government. "But don't worry about it, it's alright." It was Kakashi's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Alright?" He was clearly confused by this. Ren simply slapped a hand on his back.

"Yes. Because I'm planning on sharing her." He started to blink rapidly in shock. After swallowing, he used a hand to rub the back of his neck.

"Sharing…Sakura." He truly believed he was misunderstanding. Maybe he was just talking about one of his weapons, or a toy, even. Something. Something _other _than Sakura.

"Yeah, I mean, you ever heard of polyandry? It's not illegal here. Maybe in my country, but my leader isn't as understanding as your Hokage. And I'm sure she understands the teacher-student relationship going on." Ren finished with a smile. First, there was no relationship in the first place. Second, they weren't teacher and student anymore. And he definitely wasn't going to share Sakura, with _Ren._ And he was positive Sakura didn't want to share Ren, with…Kakashi? No, that couldn't be right. But seriously, what was he thinking? Something that the Villagers stopped doing ages ago, but the rule was never done away with.

"You've got it all wrong, Watanabe." He said, exhausted with the whole conversation. "I don't want Sakura. I'll never want Sakura. Unless she changes her hair color, her facial features, her breast size, and her personality, she's all yours. Seriously." Kakashi said as he narrowed his eyes. Ren gave a short laugh. He didn't get it.

"It's alright, as long as we don't cross swords or anything…If you know what I mean." He finished with a wink as Kakashi grimaced.

"So, they're having a spar, and I'm usually included in them. I'll walk over there." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a step forward before Ren began to speak again. This time, his voice had a darker tone to it.

"Touch Sakura…and you die. She's mine."

* * *

><p>"Do you like it?"<p>

"You look delicious, babe. Tasty…" Sakura rolled her eyes and put a hand over the one that sat on her hips. She felt his lips make soft kisses on her neck.

"Are you sure this isn't too...Dressy, for my mother?" She frowned and started to examine her dress in the full length mirror. It was red and stopped right above her knees. It was pretty tight though, so she couldn't do any extensive movement while in it. She heard the sound of her zipper being pulled up and felt her straps being readjusted.

"You look beautiful, Sakura. Stop worrying." She couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach. She already knew her mother wasn't going to like him, and she already had an idea how the night was going to play out. So why was she so nervous? Oh yeah. Kakashi's going to be there, and he's a bastard. He was having separation issues, and it shouldn't have taken her this long to figure it out. For a long time, it was Kakashi and Sakura, Sakura and Kakashi. Through Anbu, the time after Anbu, they've gotten closer, no doubt. But now that Ren was in the picture, Sakura hasn't been spending as much time with Kakashi, so he's jealous. It's conceited of her to think like this, but she wouldn't dare consider any alternative reasons for his actions.

"I just can't relax, Ren." She felt her zipper being pulled back down and her straps fell off of her shoulders. The dress slowly inched off of her body before pooling around her heeled feet.

"I know just the thing…" His hands started to inch down her stomach. "That can make that tenseness go away." He whispered breathily. She sighed.

"Stop it," When she bent over to pull her dress back up, she felt a smack on her behind and shot up. "Ren, really. I already told you." He let out a groan and plopped himself on the bed.

"Sakura, what are you so afraid of?" He asked. She tried her best to zip her dress back up but could only get it halfway. Frustrated, she sat down on the bed facing away from him.

"My mother told me that I should only have sex when I love someone." She whispered it, but he heard. He shifted on the bed.

"Haven't you loved someone before?" He asked as he pulled her zipper back up. She closed her eyes. "You told me about Sasuke." The conversation she was avoiding.

"I loved Sasuke," She started. "I really did. Do, actually. Because I still love him. And that night, I was going to have sex with him. But he was still a righteous bastard back then, so some things happened, and…we didn't." She kicked her shoes off and laid down. "That changed my whole view of things. I thought to truly love someone, you had to be married." He blinked.

"No sex until marriage, huh?" She nodded. "Will you marry me, then?" Her eyes widened.

She could _not_ have just heard that.

"W-what?" She said, as though what he said hasn't registered yet. He turned and put his hands behind his head.

"I don't think I've felt this strongly about someone before. It's pretty weird, actually. It feels really good to have the same woman in bed with you every night. Especially when that woman is you, Sakura." She searched his eyes as her breathing started to pick up.

"What do you mean?" He smiled.

"I love you, is what I mean. When I kiss you, I feel like I could do it forever. Your body intrigues me. You're beautiful, in every sense of the word. I don't know why you're not married yet. But if I'm the man to do it, then the whole world just lost out." Her eyes widened. He couldn't be serious. He was joking, right? Right?

"You're…serious?" He pulled her face closer to his and took her mouth in a kiss.

"You think I'm lying?" She smiled.

"I love you, Ren." She said as he smiled back. She sat up briefly and pulled her zipper back down. She slipped the dress off of her body and laid back down. "And I want you to make love to me."

* * *

><p>"Stop, stop." Sakura whispered breathily as pain resonated throughout her lower pelvis. Ren froze abruptly. "Don't move."<p>

"What do you want me to do?" He said, panting just as hard. His mouth was beside her ear and had his hands on either side of her.

"Nothing." She breathed. "Just do…nothing." She placed her hands on his shoulders. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she slowly moved him out of her and he fell down onto the bed. She couldn't do it. It hurt too much. Everyone always says that sex is pleasurable, but what about virgins? What did they get? She turned away from him as her lip started to quiver.

When he went in the first time, it was magic. Kakashi was right. She was missing out. But then he started to go faster, and it started to hurt. Badly. She couldn't keep up, and he was too big. Ren could barely go in all the way, and every thrust he made hurt like _hell._ He picked up on it when she stopped moving with him. And here she was now.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" She slowly rose from the bed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She replied with a smile.

"Was it good?" He said, the smugness evident through his voice. She narrowed her eyes.

"Magical, Ren." Closing the door behind her, she waddled through the hallway to her bathroom. This bathroom had that beautiful tub, and a soak was just what she needed right about now. She stepped in and locked the door, almost immediately running the hot water for a bath.

What the _hell_ was she thinking? Okay, so the sex was good…at first. But it seems whenever she's with him, he gets whatever he wants. Wait…who was she kidding? Haruno Sakura's getting _married!_ And she had to admit. It was _really_ good at first. And if she had to live with him, then he might as well be good in bed. He was the whole package, truth be told. Charming, handsome, funny, everything she wanted. Naruto was right. And she would love him forever just for suggesting Ren to her.

She stuck a toe into the water before slipping her leg in, and then the rest of her body. Once in the water, she placed a healing hand on her abdomen and let her chakra numb the pain. She heard the door open and her head turned.

"How'd you…"

"Ninja," He wiggled his blue-tipped fingers. She smiled. He closed the door and walked over to the tub. "May I join you?"

"Do you need permission?" He let out a small laugh and jumped in, splashing hot water all over her face.

"Ah! Why would you—" He silenced her with a kiss. She pushed his face away with her hand. "Now why would you go and do that for?" He smiled.

"I want you." He mumbled through her fingers. She frowned.

"Didn't you get all you wanted three minutes ago?" He licked her fingers and she snatched her hand back.

"No. I want you again." Then he kissed her again, running his tongue over her lips and into her mouth. Sakura pulled back. She was still hot, despite the bath water being cold. Her legs had somehow wrapped themselves around his waist and her fingers were now digging into his back.

"It hurts, Ren." He narrowed his eyes.

"If I promise to go slow, can I have you?" He pleaded? She touched her lips.

"I'm yours now, so what do you think?"

* * *

><p>"Stop, stop."<p>

"What _now?"_ She placed her hands on his chest and rolled off of him.

"We have to go!" He groaned and stood to help her up.

"Why? Can't we just go back home, and do some more of this? Because you seem to have no problem with doing me in the—"

"Shhhh! Kids are still out!" She pointed through the trees to the playground that was in clear sight. He rolled his eyes. She folded her arms over her chest and started to look around.

"What're you looking for?"

"My bra! I can't find my _bra!" _She whispered. He held up a finger with her bra latched onto it. When she narrowed her eyes, he laughed. "We don't have time for that, you bastard!" She yelled as she snatched it away and hurriedly put it on. They had about ten minutes before her mother started to get worried. And that's only if her father is there to reassure her. Assuming he's not home all the time, they only had three. With the way they've been getting sidetracked on the way to the civilian district, they weren't going to make it. She shimmied into her dress and pulled the straps onto her shoulders just as Ren tightened his tie. "My zipper," She said. It was only a few seconds later that her zipper was up and she was pulling on her heels.

"Your hair is a bit…you know." Sakura's eyes widened as she started to comb her fingers through her locks as best as she could.

"Come on, let's go!" She grabbed his hand and started to run through the trees. It wasn't long before they were back on the main road. They were already in the civilian district, so it shouldn't be long now. "There are a few things I need you to know about this dinner."

"That your mother hates me and this night will blow up, yeah, I already know that." She sighed, trying to get a hold of her nerves. He was right. It'll blow up all right.

"Just please. Don't tell her you're a spy, and make sure to tell her that you're from _Suna._ Not Grass." He nodded as they walked down the pathway.

"Sakura, it'll be fine, just chill." She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

"You better hope so." She heard noise on the other side, and this time, it was her father who greeted them.

"Sakura," He said, rather unenthusiastically.

"Hey daddy. This is Ren." She said with a smile. Daisuke only narrowed his eyes.

"Ren, huh." Ren took a step up and extended his hand.

"Yes Sir. Watanabe Ren." When Daisuke didn't take the hand, he quickly stuffed it back into his pocket. His eyes turned and stared when he saw Sakura pat his lower back. He frowned.

"Oh, so this is _that_ type of dinner. Come in," He opened the door wider and allowed Sakura to come in, only for him to stand in Ren's way. "You a ninja?"

"Yes Sir," Ren said nervously. Daisuke pulled up the sleeves of his shirt to show his tattoo. "Oh, Ex-Anbu. I didn't know you were a ninja, Sir."

"Not 'Ex' Anbu, retired. And no one does. No one except for my wife, and you, now." Making sure he understood what he meant, he opened the door again and allowed him to come in.

"Daddy, what did you do?" Sakura said once her father entered the foyer.

"I don't like that guy, Sakura." She frowned. Why is that everyone's first opinion?

"You don't know him yet, Dad. At least get to know him before you start making threats." She turned around and started for the living room. Is there something about him that puts people off? Because everyone around her _hates_ Ren. She rolled her eyes. They were just going to have to deal with it though. She stepped into the living room and her eyes widened.

"Kimura…what are you doing here?" Sakura said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, me? I'm here with my date." She replied icily.

"Your date?" Sakura scanned the room. She looked at Naruto, to which he shook his head. When she turned to Sasuke, he nodded to his right. Upon turning back to Kimura, she took a step closer to Kakashi and placed her hand on his chest and the other on his lower back.

"Bingo."

Kimura? Here with Kakashi? _Unbelievable._

* * *

><p>"What the hell is your problem? You're here with Ren!" Kimura yelled.<p>

"So why are _you_ here with Kakashi?" Sakura yelled back.

"He's my _date, _asswipe!" Sakura glared.

"Oh that's right. You got those breast implants done last week. You're definitely his type now, honey." Kimura glowered. "And I wouldn't say 'Date', especially when escort can be substituted much more nicely." She gasped.

"You slut!"

"Prostitute!"

"_Whore!"_ It was Sakura's turn to gasp. She shot up and pointed a finger across the coffee table.

"You bitch! Take that _back!"_ A smug look appeared on Kimura's face.

"Why? Because it's true? I heard you've been sleeping with Sasuke, Ren, _and_ Kakashi!" Sakura's eyes widened as she lunged for the civilian. She didn't get far before she was pulled back by her waist.

"What about Akio and Haruki? You think I didn't know you slept with both of them? On the same _night?"_ Kimura reached for her hair, as Sakura's hands shot out for her neck.

"When are they going to stop?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke, to which he shrugged.

"I don't really know Kimura, but by the looks of it, they're just alike. This could go on for hours." Naruto sighed. That's _just _what he needed. But he did want to see how this civilian fared in a cat fight against Sakura. He turned his attention to Ren and saw him smiling. This made him frown. Getting up, he stomped over to where he was and grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Ren's eyes took their time to turn away from the cat fight.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." This made his frown run deeper. Naruto wasn't that tall. He would like to think that he was, but compared to this man, he wasn't. Despite all of this, he pulled Ren over to another corner of the room.

"Are you cheating on Sakura? 'Cause you're doing a really good job at hiding your concern." He growled. Ren tensed.

"N-no, why would I be?" It was subtle, but Naruto heard the nervousness in his voice. This made the anger bubble up inside of him. Ren's eyes widened when he saw bright blue turn into a deep red. Naruto grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"If you're cheating on her, so help me God. When she's done with you, it's my turn." He finished with a push. He stalked back over to Sasuke who sensed his distress.

"What'd you find out?" Naruto breathed through his nose.

"Nervousness. I didn't want to believe it, but I think this guy really has Sakura fooled. All of us, to tell you the truth." Naruto sighed at how good Ren hid himself. "Grade-A player, Sasuke. And she just doesn't know." Not only did this make both of them angry, it also made their hearts clench painfully.

"It's none of your business! Remember, we're not friends anymore!" She pushed Sakura.

"Because _you_ ended it!" Sakura pushed back.

"You wanted to become a stupid ninja! We wouldn't be in the same classes! We would never even see each other anymore!" Sakura stopped.

"That didn't mean you had to end it, Kimura." Sakura's father walked through the swinging door from the kitchen.

"Alright, girls. That's enough. Come in and eat." The frown was evident on Sakura's face as Kimura walked past her. She grabbed Kakashi's arm as he tried to follow after her.

"I can't believe you, Kakashi. I just hope you get what you want out of this dinner." He frowned as Sakura pushed past him into the dining room.

He wasn't going to get what he wanted, because he didn't want Sakura to end up with a broken heart.

* * *

><p>"So when is your next mission?" Sakura stuck her fork into her mouth and started to chew. She swallowed before answering.<p>

"Actually, it's tomorrow, mother. We're going to Yugakure." Hanako's eyes lit up.

"You mean that Hot Springs Village? Oh, that place is delightful. Your father took me there on our honeymoon. We barely ever left the springs." A look of disgust was frozen on Sakura's face as she proceeded to spit the food from her mouth into a napkin.

"Dad, make her stop." Daisuke smiled.

"That's alright, Hanako. We're here for _other_ reasons, aren't we?" Sakura's eyes widened.

"Daddy, that's not what I meant—"

"Now, now, Sakura. Which one is the boyfriend I'm going to be grilling tonight?" Sakura sighed. Her father wasn't present for the last boyfriend dinner, and it seems that one would've went a lot better since he actually _likes_ Sasuke. But he already voiced his opinions on disliking Ren, and she hadn't counted on _that_.

"This is Ren, mother. Watanabe Ren." Sakura sighed when she saw her mother frown. And it begins…again.

"I don't believe we've met, Hanako-san." Hanako pursed her lips.

"Where are you from? You're definitely not from Fire. Look at his skin tone." Sakura didn't know _how_ her mother could tell that, especially since there are many Fire natives with olive skin, including her _husband._

"I'm from Suna, Hanako-san." Ren replied. To Sakura's surprise, her mother's eyes shone with interest.

"Oh? What do you do? I'm sure you're a ninja." He nodded. Sakura's eyes narrowed. Her mother was never interested in anything that _Sasuke_ did.

"I'm an interrogator." And then she smiled. Sasuke, to the right of her, tapped her leg. She turned to face him.

"Don't worry," She whispered. "I'm just as surprised as you are."

"How old are you?" Hanako asked, her interest piqued. Sakura closed her eyes. The seemingly good start had already started to dwindle with that question. Her mother didn't want Sakura to date older men. She actually forbid it. Something about them always getting disinterested and moving on to find someone younger. With that said, it's a wonder she kept a hold on her father. Hanako was 17 when she met 26 year old Daisuke. And _they're_ still together, so why shouldn't she be able to be with Ren?

"28, ma'am." He said.

"Oh, great!" Sakura was surprised for the third time that night.

"That's way too old, Hanako." And then it went straight to hell. Hanako turned with furrowed eyebrows to her husband.

"What do you mean that's way too old? He's only 28." Daisuke frowned.

"But Sakura's _only_ 23." Sakura sighed. There's the trouble that was supposed to come earlier.

"And I was _only_ 17, but you had no qualms about spending the night with me!" Daisuke narrowed his eyes.

"Hanako, watch your mouth." She frowned.

"Or what, Dai? You just can't accept that I like her boyfriend." Hanako said as she shoved her nose into the air.

"Yeah, well I don't." Daisuke countered with the crossing of his burly arms.

"Daddy!" Sakura shouted.

"No, Sakura. I don't like him. And I don't think you should see him anymore." When she envisioned the dinner, she had thought her mother would be the one to say those words, just like she said them about Sasuke. But her father was rarely serious and he was always playful. For him to be telling her not to see him was…very shocking. Not to mention it hurt. She was her father's only child. She was spoiled, and he usually obliged with whatever she wanted to do. And this would probably be the first time that Daddy's little girl didn't get what she wanted.

"But Daddy—"

"No, Sakura. It's alright." Ren said as he put a hand on her waist while keeping eye contact with her father. Daisuke glared.

"It's not alright." She grumbled. Seeing the odd stare her father was giving Ren, she tried to shift out of his grasp, only for him to pull her closer. Much to Sakura's dismay he grabbed the back of her head and crushed his lips to hers. _Just like with Nao._ She thought. Her hands were pressed against his chest when he started to bite at her lower lip. She slowly but surely pushed him off of her. "Ren, why the hell would you do that? In front of my _father_ no less!" She whispered. He just smiled smugly, attention still on Daisuke.

"We're getting married." Daisuke shot up and banged his hands on the table.

"What did you just say?" Her father said in dark voice. Sakura's eyes widened as Naruto and Kakashi turned to her, their eyes much the same. Sasuke just leaned back and closed his eyes. His indifference bothered her.

"We're getting married." He pulled Sakura up alongside him and crushed his body against hers. She pushed her hands against his chest.

"Hold on, Ren. Daddy," Daisuke's eyes narrowed.

"You are _not_ getting married." He growled. Naruto and Kakashi's eyes were still focused on her. She turned to her father.

"Daddy, you're not being reasonable. Just—"

"No, Sakura." She pursed her lips as her eyebrows furrowed. She felt like stomping her foot on the ground, throwing a tantrum, anything to show him what he was saying was _wrong._

"Then we'll elope." Ren said in a matter-of-fact tone. Her head whipped back.

"No we won't."

"No you won't," Daisuke added. Ren looked down at her with narrowed eyes.

"Sakura, we're getting married." She tried to move his hand from around her waist to lessen the anger of her father, but he wouldn't budge.

"Maybe we should think about it more. It was really sudden, Ren." He frowned.

"I seem to remember you agreeing to marry me before we had sex, Sakura." He said with a smile. Her eyes widened.

"Ren!" Her father started to move around the table and Hanako got up to stop him.

"I'll kill that bastard," Daisuke growled as Hanako placed a hand on his chest.

"Sakura you had _sex _with him?" Naruto said, his voice high and laced with unbelief. "Why would you go and do something so irresponsible?" She narrowed her eyes. If she had to recall, Naruto was the one telling her she was missing out a few days ago.

"Irresponsible? Naruto, I—"

"Sakura, a word please." She heard Kakashi say from across the room. And he didn't sound happy. Something not too different from the rest of them in the room. She moved to go around Ren, but she was forcefully pulled back.

"She's not going anywhere." Her head snapped back and she narrowed her eyes at Ren.

"I'm just going to talk to him for a second, Ren." She tried to move again, but the grip on her waist tightened…painfully. "Can you get off of me?"

"No. I said you're not going anywhere, Sakura. Especially not with that, bastard." She glared at him.

"_I'm_ the only one who can call him a bastard." She growled. "Move your hands."

"What? So you can go kiss him some more?" Her eyes widened.

"Hanako. I'm going to kill him," Daisuke growled once more.

"So, if you don't let her go now, you'll probably die." Kakashi said cheekily. Sakura finally got herself out of his grasp before pushing through the swinging door. Kakashi followed. When they were out of earshot, he ran his hands through his hair.

"Married? You're going to get _married?"_ He whispered harshly. She crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip.

"I don't know, Kakashi. It was all of a sudden. He said he loved me, so I…had…se—"

"Why the hell would you have _sex_ with him? God, Sakura!" Kakashi slapped his hand over his eyes as Sakura took a seat in one of the armchairs. "Do you know what you just did?"

"Yes…Kind of." He sighed.

"You just gave your virginity to a bastard, Sakura. Damn it!" He started to pace back and forth. This was a mess that she couldn't get herself out of. She couldn't marry that dick! He was a horrible person, and that was clearly proved by the way he acted in front of her _parents._ There are just some things you don't talk about in front of old folk. Things like _sex._ And he just said he had sex…with their _daughter._ Damn, if he wasn't dead by the time they got back in there, a miracle had just taken place.

"He loves me,"

"Yeah, right." He scoffed.

"And I love him." She finished more firmly. Kakashi stopped and bent over to place his hands in front of her on the coffee table.

"You disregarded all of our advice, Sakura. If you want to marry him, be my guest. It's not my life that you're fucking up." She jumped at what he said. He turned on his heel and started for the dining room. "Be packed and ready at the Hokage Tower. 8 AM sharp…Watanabe." Her eyes widened as she heard him push through the door. She's never felt that…dismissed by Kakashi, ever. She watched with tear-brimmed eyes as the door continued to swing long after he passed through it.

She really couldn't explain what she was feeling at the moment. Earlier today, she felt that she loved Ren, and she didn't care about what they said. And now…she just didn't know. She hurriedly wiped her tears, smudging her make-up in the process, and walked back to the dining room.

"I want him out of my fucking house, Sakura! _Now."_ In her absence, Ren must've done something to upset her father even more. His usually olive skin was now tinged pink and she saw her mother in front of him whispering reassuring words. She's never seen her father that angry in her _life._ And for someone to upset the usually carefree man, who let words and insults slide off of him like water, it had to be bad. But Ren, on the other hand, was smiling. And that had to upset her father even more.

She moved automatically through blurry vision. She didn't say goodbye to her parents, something also out of the norm. But this night wasn't exactly normal, either. She followed the rest of the guests out of the door and into the night. She couldn't really stop the tears now, and she didn't know why. She also didn't know what she actually expected out of tonight. She knew it wasn't going to be a good night, but this was downright horrible. Her father surprised her in more ways than one. _Ren_ surprised her in more ways than one. She noticed it on the way to Kannabi Bridge, but she didn't really think it mattered. How he took way too much pleasure in Nao's distress. And now, for it to show up again in front of her father, it was just something she couldn't miss.

And look at her. Her father was disappointed, Naruto and Sasuke were disappointed, and Kakashi…he was upset. Somehow, her decisions upset him more than it should have. And now that Kakashi was upset, she had no choice _but_ to cry. What else was there to do when the two men around her who rarely show any negative emotion are now at her neck because of Ren?

She needed a drink, and she needed it now.

* * *

><p>"What are you having?" Sakura picked her head up from the counter and twirled her finger around.<p>

"Sake," She replied with a wave of her hand.

"Bottle?" He asked as he wiped the counter down with his white rag.

"Oh yes." And she was going to need it. As the bartender went to go handle her drink, she took a scan of the room. Maybe she shouldn't have picked a strip club as the spot to get a drink, but it was the closest bar, and she needed one quickly. She noticed right away near the back of the club was Naruto, dancing with one of the strippers. A little ways over was Sasuke. A lot of people probably didn't notice it, but he was really enjoying that lap dance. On the other side of the room was Kakashi and Kimura.

This made her sigh. Kimura was strikingly beautiful. Her bright red hair and honey eyes contrasted perfectly with each other. Not to mention, her body was a wonderland. Her long legs looked even longer in the heels she was donning, and her short dress could make her fit in with any one of the dancers at the club. But there it was. Red hair, big bust, long legs. She was definitely Kakashi's type. And the fact that there was a possibility that Kakashi could be taking her home tonight hurt her. The fact that he won't be in her home tomorrow morning, begging for her forgiveness for leaving her again hurt the most. And from what she could see, how she was dreamily gazing into his onyx eyes, and how he was laid back in his booth, seemingly not paying attention but very interested, the chance of them having sex was very high. And it bothered her _very_ much.

"Your bottle, miss." She nodded at the bartender as he brought her the Sake and a shot glass. Uncorking the bottle, she took a nice long drink.

"That feels so much worse." She said, closing her eyes as the Sake burned as it traveled down her throat. She looked back to the couple and found her playing with his hands. If she and Kimura were still friends, then it would be her coming to Sakura's apartment tomorrow morning, spilling the details of her adventure with the famed Hatake Kakashi. But they weren't, and it was sad.

Kimura told her flat-out that they couldn't hang out anymore because Sakura was going to be a ninja. They were six, and even now the hurt still registers. Kimura, along with the other civilians that went to the Academy for regular learning, made fun of her. For being a ninja, for being insecure, for being _Sakura._ But that's what civilians did. They didn't like ninja, as much as ninja didn't like civilians. The feeling was mutual, and it was alright in the Village. But Sakura just didn't know just how much she would be betrayed by her friend because she wanted to do something better.

Even now how Kimura continued to mock her. They rarely see each other in the Village, but when they do…She never knew that she and Kakashi knew each other. She never guessed Kakashi was one to date, and the coincidence must lie where they showed up together at her dinner. She would've loved to talk to Kimura about Kakashi; maybe she knew some of his deep-dark secrets. She would've loved for Kimura to enlighten her on all the mysteries she was privy to by being involved in Kakashi's private life. She was a part of Kakashi's private life because of course, she was private to everyone else Kakashi ever knew. And she wanted to know _why._

Absent-mindedly thinking on this fact, when Sakura saw Kimura get up and walk towards the washroom, Sakura put her bottle back on the counter and followed. Although, she would have to apologize to someone very dear, and it was probably going to be one of the hardest things she's done in a while.

Walking through the club was agonizing. Not only because she was going to talk to Kakashi, but because some jerk kept pinching her ass. Finally turning around, she narrowed her eyes as to who the 'jerk' was.

"Hey babe." She turned back around and continued to walk, only for him to jump in front of her. "I _said, _'Hey babe.'"

"What do you want, Ren." She said, putting her hands on her hips. He smiled slyly.

"Maybe we could go home, and…you know." Her eyebrows raised.

"Not right now, Ren." He shrugged.

"Then I guess I just want a lap dance." He replied cheekily.

"That's not happening." She said with a roll of her eyes. Who did he think she was?

"And it's not because you don't know how to, because you're a Ku—"

"Don't say that word." She threatened, poking him in the chest. He narrowed his eyes.

"Sakura, just one dance." He pleaded. She stood her ground.

"I said no, Ren." He let out a groan, much like a child, and pushed past her.

"You _never_ give me what I want." He grumbled. He was drunk and she knew this. Very drunk on top of that. She could smell it in his breath, and she could see it in his stagger. She turned to watch his retreating back, wondering as to what exactly he meant by that. But that certainly didn't matter at the moment. Kimura was still gone, and Kakashi was still seated at his booth with his book open, which was only a few more paces away.

She slid into the seat quietly and folded her fingers. He looked up from his book for a second, and his eyes paused on her. Then they went back to his page.

"Kakashi?" Pause…No response. "Are you mad at me?" It was a trivial thing to ask, especially since she _knew_ he was upset.

"I told you about him, Sakura. But you ignored me." He finished with a sigh and a turned page. She flattened her hands on the old table.

"So you don't believe that I love him?" His snapped his book shut and placed it on the table.

"No, I know that you love him."

"Then what's the—"

"Let me finish," He said as he raised a finger. Her eyes widened. "You're moving way too fast, Sakura. You've only just met him and you're already in love. I know you're brash, but even that doesn't make sense." He finished dismissively, as he played with the pages of his book. She frowned.

"You don't know, Kakashi…" She whispered with a sigh. He looked up at her now, his eyes narrowed and calculating.

"I don't know what? Please enlighten me. I'm sure this has to be much different than the bullshit that you continuously feed me." He said sarcastically. She closed her eyes in anger, ignoring his comment.

"He was all I had, Kakashi. A dim light in that dark hell hole. He kept me afloat and watched helplessly as they tortured me. He put false hope of escape into my mind, something that helped me to hold on. There was nothing else he could do. And because he was there for me, I developed feelings for him." She finished through gritted teeth. "Again, the only one there for me. Were you there, Kakashi?" She asked accusingly, her voice full of bitterness. His eyes twitched at the depth of her words, the meaning behind them. "Because shit, if you were, I probably would've fell in love with you, too." He got over his shock and shook his head.

"Apparently love really is blind…" He whispered to himself.

"What?" She asked. His eyes narrowed and he folded his hands together in front of him. He exhaled.

"I don't usually butt into your love life, Sakura. I really don't care too much either. But I'm doing you a favor when I tell you this. He does _not_ love you." She bit her lip to keep it from shaking, and her hands turned to fists as she got up.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. I really am this time." She turned on her heels and headed for the washroom. He couldn't do this to her. Ren had his flaws…many of them. As did Kakashi. But Ren was hers. And if Kakashi couldn't deal with that, then he just didn't deserve to be called her friend.

"I'm sorry. I just had to freshen up." Kakashi sighed as he got a whiff of her when she slid into the booth.

"Really." He deadpanned. She reached for his hand.

"So, how about we ditch this lame club, and we can go back to my place?" She whispered seductively. Kakashi moved his hand out of her reach and stood.

"Timera, is it? Look. I'm sure you're a nice girl and all, but I don't do sloppy seconds. Why don't you head on back to your first catch?" Kimura frowned as she stood with a stomp and grabbed her purse off the table. "It was fun, if that counts for anything."

"It's Kimura!" Kakashi shrugged. Names weren't his forte. She was a beautiful girl, but he didn't know who she was with before, and he didn't want to risk catching something. Sakura knew best, he supposed…

"Ren," Sakura called, taking the few steps to close the space between them. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Look, Sakura. I'm—"

"No. Just listen." She sighed, taking his hands in hers. "You're not perfect. You're nowhere near it. And you have flaws just like everyone else. A lot of people have been telling me a lot of things the past few days, and I can't—I _won't_ entertain them. I can't just jump when everybody tells me to. As long as I know you're good for me, I think that's all that matters." She finished firmly. He smiled.

"I love you, Sakura." She moved in for a hug.

"I love you too." He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed. She closed her eyes.

So where would everything go from there?

Kakashi had so much hostility toward her. Sasuke would only show indifference, and it was unlikely that he would tell her how he actually felt. Naruto usually displays his feelings openly. She was sure he wouldn't stay mad at her for long, right? But her dad…He was furious. And as long as she was with Ren, it wouldn't get better. She could only assume the relationship she had with her father was now in ruins.

But Ren…right now, he was worth it. He proved his usefulness in captivity. There, she knew he only wanted her for what she was supposed to look like. Her face was bruised, purple, and she had cuts all over. She knew she was balding even though she wasn't allowed a mirror. She was dirty and stinky most of the time, and she didn't know how he could stand her breath. So what was it? Sakura wasn't a catch, or the kind of woman that people like him usually search for. _Kakashi's type_. And she _definitely_ wasn't that. She was…she was Sakura and he loved her for that. And she loved him for just being Ren. They loved each other and they could just _be…_they could just be Ren and Sakura if everyone would just let them be. If Kakashi knew her like he claimed he knew her, he would know that she was stubborn. She found a good thing, she found someone new, someone _different…_so why was everyone against her holding onto it?

Opening her eyes, she found that she didn't have the energy to find that out anymore. If they were against her, that was fine. She wouldn't follow them to the ends of the earth just to find out why. She wouldn't chase them down for all eternity, especially not Kakashi. She figured they were fine just as they were.

And then she saw it.

The smallest thing wiped her previous thoughts from her mind and had something tightly clenching on her heart. She plucked it off of his shoulder and held it up.

"This can't—" Her breath caught. He pulled back to look at her staring at her fingers in the light.

"Sakura?" He questioned, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Ren—No. They weren't right." She tried to reassure herself as her eyes were frozen on the small bane of her existence between her fingertips.

"Sakura, what's wrong with you?" She squeezed her eyes shut as a single tear fell down her cheeks, her world crashing down with it.

_"This,_ Ren." She said through gritted teeth. Holding it up to his eyes, his expression fell as he recognized it. She turned away, pained.

"Sakura—"

"I don't have red hair, Ren!" She shouted in sobs, waving the single strand of hair in front of his eyes. "I don't! Not even _close." _She finished in a harsh whisper, her teeth clenched. He closed his eyes.

"Sakura—"

"Stop saying my _name!"_ She shouted, slapping him hard across the face. Then, her hands dropped to her sides, the strand of hair still between her fingers. "So what, Ren? Were you just hugging on a female you didn't know or—" He interrupted her with his sigh. He closed his eyes, running a hand through his long black hair. She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip.

"I had sex with her." She choked out a sob as she fell to her knees.

He turned his head as he heard shouting coming from the other side of the strip club. He sighed when he found out the root of the problem. Sakura and Ren were arguing, and he'd rather not get involved, if he could help it.

"How _could_ you? I thought—"

"Sakura, stop it. I lo—"

"Don't say that to me!" He heard a loud pop, suggesting that someone just got slapped. He could only assume it was Ren, and he could only wonder what wrong he could've done in Sakura's eyes. Sighing, again, he raised himself.

"Sakura, get off of the fl—"

"Get _away!"_ He watched as Ren was shoved and he stumbled back into the nearby booth. He quickly got back up again.

"Stop this, Sakura! I just—"

"No!" She shouted, raising herself from the floor. "Just _no."_ She pleaded squeezing her eyes shut. "Over and over again—I trusted you, Ren. Despite everything that everyone else has told me about you, I disregarded them and believed in _you._ Those eyes, and your seemingly smooth words…just lies. And you let me believe in them. You let me believe that we would—" Fresh tears poured from her closed eyes as she thought of their previous arrangement.

"And I still want to—!" She moved quickly, and as she ran to him, her fist swung back. She didn't want to hear the words, she didn't want to hear the words. Just the sound of his voice made it harder to breathe, caused her emotions to bubble deep within her. Her fist collided with his face and he flew back. She crumbled to the floor.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out, running to her form on the floor. He reached for her. "Sakura, it's okay. Just calm down—" She punched him into a booth not too far away. "Ow…" He felt his back crack as the table broke. He was temporarily paralyzed as he laid in the midst of the pieces of the broken booth. When he opened his eyes, she was in front of him.

"I just…I just wanted to handle things on my own. I wanted to love someone, Kakashi. I wanted Ren for myself, I wanted to be with Ren, but you just….you couldn't let me have even the smallest satisfaction of being able to have a significant other. If you…if you didn't invite Kimura…" Her voice broke. This wasn't Sakura. Standing in front of him was a woman whose next moves he couldn't read because of her actions. Her words said that she was angry at him, but her expression…Tears continuously flowed from her eyes. Her make-up was smudged, and her lips wouldn't stop quivering. She looked broken, she looked defeated, she looked unable to do anything else but cry as she stood in front of him, her body racked with sobs and her shoulders shaking.

This wasn't Sakura.

"Damn…" He whispered, letting his head fall back as she continued to cry in front of him. She screamed in anguish, and the next thing he knew, she was kicking aside another table and chairs to his right, a piece of wood coming really close to his last good eye. Apparently her moods still change impressively fast.

"You ruin _everything_ for me!" Further off, he heard the smashing noises of more property. If they weren't careful, Sakura would take down the stage with only her foot.

"Naruto," Kakashi called as he felt his damp mask, "Get security. Maybe she'll listen to authority." Naruto ran and did as told. Sakura took this time to take care of unfinished business: Kakashi. Standing above him was a petite pink haired woman who could pack a hell of a punch.

"Do you know how much it hurt for you guys not to support me? It hurt _badly._ But I didn't care, because I was in love, and I was going to get married. But now look," She grabbed his shirt. "Look how the night has blown up in _my_ face! Is that what you wanted? Huh?" A man grabbed her other arm.

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Sakura scowled and pushed the man off of her arm. It wasn't forceful, but he still fell.

"I _hate _you, Kakashi." And with that, she ran out of the club. He absent-mindedly watched the way her hips swayed.

"I _really_ need to get a new hobby."

* * *

><p>He took a swig of his beer, laying back on his couch. As it traveled down his throat, he thought of how horribly screwed up tonight was.<p>

He didn't quite have the guts to call Sakura crazy. The walls have ears, and he was sure that if he even thought it, somehow, Sakura would find out. And that would not be good for him while she's in one of her moods. She just showed an onslaught of them at the club. From sad, to angry, to sad, to furious, to punchy, to furious, to missing. All he could say was she's a handful. But she's his responsibility…somehow.

He sighed.

He feared for her wellbeing, now that Ren's skeleton had finally come out of the closet. He expected it, just not like this. He didn't expect Ren to propose, and he didn't expect Sakura's mother to be okay with it. Her father maybe, but not her mother. And if the news of tonight got around to Daisuke, Ren would surely be castrated. He would've done it himself if he wasn't so out of it. If Sakura hadn't punched him into a wooden booth, broke a few of his ribs, and given him a concussion, yeah, Ren would be a dead man.

But first thing is first. He had to find Sakura, because he couldn't just let her leave like that. Not on that note. Not on 'I _hate_ you'. Kakashi was very in control of his emotions, but he had to say, that hurt. Bad. Hate was a strong word, and Sakura never used it in conjunction with a person unless she truly meant it. She didn't even say she hated Ren, yet here _he _was. Hated. Now, she told them millions of times that they didn't have to go after her when she was in between tempers, but Kakashi knew that if he didn't find her soon, what they had left of their dwindling friendship would be gone.

He just hoped to God she didn't go and destroy another training ground. Those things were hard to rebuild. Not that he knew of course, it just looked like Tenzou had a hard time building all those trees and repairing the ground again. He also hoped she didn't go and find Ren. Like what happened with Sasuke, she did _not_ need a repeat. If Timera stayed at the club, she was safe. Sakura couldn't go back there; he was sure she was banned. And Sakura wouldn't try to kill a civilian…at least not _consciously._

He heard three sharp knocks on his door and hesitated.

It could be Sakura, the business end of her Katana waiting for him as soon as he opened the door, it could be Ren, on his knees, begging for help and forgiveness, or, it could just be—nothing. Nothing else came to him, and those two scenarios he just imagined didn't have the best outcome for either party. Right now he just prayed to Kami that it was Naruto.

Opening his door, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Hatake-san?" It was a Chunin, no older than 15, his facial expressions mirroring Kakashi's.

"Yes?"

"I need you to sign here to confirm you are the emergency contact for Haruno Sakura." He panicked, quickly snatching the clipboard from the boy's hand. Sakura wrote him down as her emergency contact? Well, it made sense considering that going to her parent's about her ninja business would only make them want to take her out of it. But then, for there to be contact, there must've been an emergency…He scratched his name down on the sheet of paper.

"What happened?" He asked.

"She was admitted in to the Mental Ward approximately an hour ago. I was told to escort the emergency contact to the premises." He relaxed, she wasn't in grave danger…But still, the Mental Ward? _Again?_

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

* * *

><p><em>I should give each and every one of you a cupcake for waiting so diligently. So look, I almost lost my inspiration, but a good night's rest of scenarios on how the story could go brought me back. In the chapter, I know. Sakura made some bad decisions. Sue me. But you have to remember the *cough* intercourse for later. Important people. <em>

_Anyways._

_Sorry I took so long. School started again, and books are **heavy.** If you really want that cupcake, you need to review. I'm serious._

_-Keoo19_


	14. Pain and Forgiveness

**Pain and Forgiveness**

* * *

><p>Kakashi…<em>Tsunade,<em> walked down the long empty hallway. Oddly, the sound of his heels echoing throughout the halls interested him. Although, his feet did hurt and his calves were killing him. Not to mention he was pissed.

And oh, he was _pissed._

Sakura never failed to get herself into trouble. Whether she was caught up in enemy territory, or just smashing a strip club to pieces, there was always something that he eventually had to clean up. And this time, it was bigger than before.

He had to admit, Ren had a _pretty_ elaborate plan. Okay, so it was easy to get the girl, then fool the girl. But to get the mom? Kakashi didn't know how he did it. Hanako doesn't like _anyone…_other than her husband, but she doesn't even like _him_ all the time. Kakashi was known to be pretty charming with women. In and outside of bed. Unfortunately, Sakura's mother wasn't one of those women instantly attracted to his "charm". He didn't mind, of course. It was actually amusing to watch her fuss. But then to have a spy prance into their Village and be _instantly _liked by Hanako…he couldn't help but be a bit surprised, if not angry. Especially since it wasn't the only surprise of the night. Ren got Sakura, their stubborn teammate who kept her legs as tight as fists, to have sex with him. Whatever he did there, marriage proposal to be exact, he had to be pretty damn slick to get past Sakura.

Nothing _ever_ got past Sakura.

So when he found out that Sakura was getting married to that jerk, he flipped. It was unnecessary and uncalled for, but he needed to tell her _something _before she made a bad decision. So in the end, Sakura figured out everything they told her was true. Though it was while her boyfriend had sex with her best friend, he couldn't sympathize with her. The hell he's put him through for the past, how many weeks? Have grated his nerves.

And tonight…tonight was the last straw.

She threw him into a table. And one would think, just what the hell did _he_ do, when Ren was the one who deserved the beating. Ren, the one who was cheating on her. Ren, the sleazebag. Ren, the _womanizer, _got off easy. But Kakashi? Kakashi the teammate? Kakashi the _friend? _He's gotten beaten beyond compare, and tonight, _thrown into a table,_ but Ren gets a love tap to the balls and runs away into the night. With Sasuke and Naruto on his tail, but that's beside the point.

Nevertheless, Kakashi didn't know what do anymore. He didn't know how he could act around Sakura anymore. It was getting unbearable. Here Kakashi was, searching high and low for their deranged teammate, to talk to her. Because that's all he needed. A few minutes of her time to sort out their dysfunctional relationship, if there even was one anymore. What with the way she left it, he doubted they could even _touch_ where they were before. He sighed. She was becoming more and more complicated by the day, and he just couldn't keep up.

Walking over to the man at the desk, he cleared his throat.

"Moryou," He started in a different voice. "I need that door opened." The man at the desk shot up and bowed.

"Hokage-sama, I don't think that's a very good idea." Kakashi stood in front of the door.

"Now." Moryou scurried over to a screen and pushed a few buttons on a keyboard. The door swung open as air hit his face. He dismissed the warden.

His first thought was that since the door wasn't locked manually, she must've done something pretty illegal to get herself put in isolation. His second thought was that he hoped she wasn't that far gone when he saw her. It was imperative that they talked, so he had to get into that room by all means.

Even if it meant getting sent to jail for impersonating the Hokage.

* * *

><p>"Sakura?" She was sitting calmly in a corner. That must've been a good sign, seeing that she was in isolation and you had to be about three types of crazy to be put in there. Her calmness meant she recovered from her mood, which meant it was easier to talk to her. Don't get him wrong, easier wasn't synonymous with easy, in this case.<p>

They had sponge-like walls and floors that felt like he was walking on a mattress. They also didn't forget the straight jacket and shiny metal pieces. It seems as though they added more this time. They replaced her heels with rubber shoes, and instead of securing her arms around herself, she had a cube of foam around each hand.

"Kakashi, you need to leave." He sat behind her with his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees.

"We need to talk." She rolled her shoulders back.

"You have nothing to say to me." He sighed. He knew this was going to be hard, but he had a feeling the conversation was leaning towards 'impossible'.

"I don't want you to be mad at what I did—"

"It's a bit too late."

"—I want you to _understand."_ Her head turned slightly. He continued on. "I would never intentionally hurt you. I _thought _the dinner would make you see what we've been telling you all week." She now turned her whole body to face him and pointed a finger at his face. Her cheeks were red and puffy and her eyes were dangerously narrow.

"You didn't _think_ at all! You never once took into consideration about how _I_ felt!" He frowned.

"I _did._ That's why I set up the dinner. Because I _care_, Sakura." She glared at him.

"No. You don't. Not really." Kakashi pursed his lips.

"That's not true." He retorted, his eyes coming close to matching hers.

"You only care about the repercussions, Kakashi! The cause and effect! If I'm in a mood, or on a rampage, I'm going to take it out on _you._ You only really care about yourself." She scoffed and crossed her arms. Wisps of hair fell over her eyes as she broke their contact and looked down. "You know, I always thought that you sponsored me for Anbu because you wanted me to get better. I found out that Anbu who sponsor medics get more high-paying missions. And I thought, 'No. Kakashi isn't in it for that.' But now, in the light of recent events. You _were._ You only care about how things affect _you."_ His eye twitched as he stood slowly and looked down on her. He didn't know why he did it because he knew she didn't like that. But at the moment, he didn't care. She was trying to get a rise out of him and he _knew_ it. Sakura was trying to get Kakashi, the unemotional, unfeeling bastard, to provoke her. To do _something._ Because if he was mad, then she was mad. Everyone knew that everything was worse when Kakashi and Sakura fed off of each other's anger. And whatever happened in his mind at that moment, he felt like provoking her.

"You're not getting married." He bit out. He saw her shoulders tense and knew there was a grimace on her face beneath her hair.

"Shut-up." She growled, letting her hands grip her knees tightly.

"He's not in love with you." Her head shot up at this as her hands curled into fists. They dropped to her sides.

"Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up—" Her eyes were closed tightly as she continued to growl.

"Ren's gone,"

"_Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up—" _Her voice ran deeper.

"And he's not coming back." He didn't know why he did it. It was the same feeling she got when Kakashi showed emotion. He loved making her angry. And he thought it was worth it, when she used her fists to push off of the sponge-like floor.

"Shut-_UP!" _Her fist swung for his face, but was stopped short. "Agh!" Sakura screamed in anguish. Overtaken by pain, she fell to her knees. She completely forgot about the contraptions limiting all chakra use. She grasped her fist tightly as her body shook. The only thing heard in the room was her heavy panting.

"Sakura—"

"Get out!" She looked at him through the wisps of hair falling over her eyes. When she saw he wasn't moving, she yelled again. "I said get out Hatake! Get out, get out, _get out!_" Finally, he shook his head and turned for the door.

"I came here to fix this, Sakura. Like I always do. If you would switch out of your damned tunnel vision, you could see that." The door opened before him and he paused. "And for the record, you didn't sign onto Anbu as a medic." He walked out and didn't look back as the door shut tightly behind him and locked.

"Hatake Kakashi," He turned to see two large Anbu operatives and the warden Moryou. Kakashi shifted his weight to one foot and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah." It would happen eventually, he knew this. The Anbu operatives started to walk towards him. "So…was it the fact that the Hokage walked in and I walked out, or did you see her somewhere else? Just curious." Kakashi added sarcastically with his eyes narrowed as he was grabbed by his upper arms.

"You are being escorted to the Hokage's office." One of the Anbu said. As if he didn't know. "If you resist, we will use force." This provoked another eye roll.

"I'm Anbu. I _know._" They started to push him forward. Kakashi jerked his shoulders forward to scare Moryou. He flinched. "To the Hokage's office." He said with false cheeriness and a raised finger.

His night just gets better and _better._

* * *

><p>Kakashi was often referred to as the intimidator, not the intimidated. No, he wasn't intimidated by the Anbu operatives. It was just that they were really big, and…that was it. He let his sandals slide against the floor as they half-carried, half-dragged him into Tsunade-sama's office. And of course, their revered Hokage currently had her head down on her desk with an empty sake bottle in her hand.<p>

What a picture.

One of the Anbu operatives cleared their throat. "Hokage-sama," They said. It was sad because in all the time they spent together walking throughout the Village, he didn't get a chance to learn their names. And they already took the time to know his. Shame.

She used a hand to prop up her cheek and pushed aside the clutter on her desk. She rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes.

"Put him down," She said with a sigh. Kakashi smiled at both his captors.

"Thank-you, gentlemen." He brushed off his upper arms and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Dismissed." She ordered with a wave of her hand. The Anbu disappeared between the floorboards. A large sigh emanated from her lips as she used her free hand to rub her temples. "And to what do I owe you the honor today, Kakashi?" She said in a tired voice.

"Well, I actually think I'm here for impersonating the Hokage." She didn't even blink.

"Why?" She closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto the desk.

"I had to get into that room, Tsunade-sama. I needed to talk to her." He replied.

"I can't have you harassing my apprentice at odd hours of the night, Hatake." She said, her voice muffled by the fabric on her arms.

"It's only 10." She let her chin rest atop her forearms and frowned. "And I wouldn't have to harass her if she didn't set herself up." She opened an eye.

"What happened this time?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"Well—" She shot up and raised a palm signaling him to stop.

"Never mind. Whatever happened, it got you into a silk shirt and dress shoes. That alone spells disaster."

"Tsunade-sama," He sighed.

"No, Hatake. You need to find a friend so you can stop crying to me. I'm not even supposed to give a damn about your personal lives, yet it seems you're here every night about some problem you two have, and frankly, I'm tired of it." She ran a hand through her loose blond tresses and started to rub the back of her neck. "I can't help Sakura unless she wants to be helped. You and I both know she won't listen to any reasoning if she doesn't want to hear it. I should really just lock you two in a closet somewhere for a few days. Maybe the Village will be problem free. It's too bad you have a mission tomorrow…" She pursed her lips as if pondering the idea. Kakashi's slouch returned.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" He replied, foregoing all formalities. Luckily, she was drunk. She didn't even notice.

"Figure it out yourself. You're a Hatake aren't you? They're geniuses." He frowned. "And next time you want to impersonate the Hokage, can you ask me first?" She drawled.

"Hai."

"Now get out of my office." She started again, picking up her sake bottle and turning it over, only to find out it was empty. She replaced it to her desk with a thud. "This is my 'Off Duty' time you're taking up." He gave a curt nod and left her office. As he exited the building, he saw the swing out front, and wouldn't deny that he was a little disappointed not to see his pink-haired teammate swinging on it. Like the last time they were here. Together.

Kakashi is a very private man. He gives out what is necessary, and only takes in the essentials. He doesn't have many friends, and even the ones he does have don't know much about him. Half of them don't know where he lives. He doesn't see the need in making new friends, either. He's what, thirty-something now? It's a bit too far up the ladder for him to start trying to make more friends and connections. If all of this is true, why?

Why did he feel the desperate need to share his past with Sakura?

Maybe it was because she was so adamant on keeping it from him. Maybe it was because Sakura was heading down the road he once took. The road that scarred him forever. The road he was still on. Loneliness. She didn't want anyone to know what was wrong with her. She didn't let anyone _see_ what was wrong with her. The only problem with that was Sakura was a very open person. If something was bothering her, she'd complain about it. If she was angry or upset, she'd yell. She would take out her anger on anything by any means necessary. It's not that easy to break a habit you've taken to all your life. So when she tried to hide her pain and suffering, Kakashi could see through her ruse. He could say that he caught on to her troubles quickly because he's seen people like her along the line, but the truth was that he's been there himself. It was just that the difference between the two of them was that Kakashi is better.

From a young age he was abandoned. Forced down the road of loneliness. It wasn't hard for him to adapt to the life of hiding himself and his true feelings. And it was because he chose to do that, he ended up like this. A broken, jaded old man with too many things under his belt. And it was because he was a broken, jaded old man, that he didn't want Sakura to do the same. So he told her _everything._ Things that even Gai didn't know.

Just because she didn't tell him.

This concerned him because he wasn't told a lot of things. He didn't beg to know them though; he just went on his way. Because it didn't matter, because he didn't _care._ And now Sakura was practically pushing him out of her life, and he just couldn't take it. He knew it wasn't because he told her all of his secrets. Sakura knew when things got personal, and she wasn't _that_ vindictive as to sell out everything everyone wanted to know just because their friendship was over.

Despite everything she said, Kakashi cared. And he wouldn't almost get thrown into jail if he didn't care.

Sighing, he twisted his doorknob and stepped into his flat. That's why he didn't like walking home. He was left to his thoughts, and he sometimes got sidetracked. He was totally supposed to pick up some groceries before getting home. He let out another sigh and pulled off his shoes with one hand, and pushed the door closed with the other. He kicked them by door after pulling the last one off and walked to his fridge. Sadly, the only thing he had left was beer, and that wasn't food.

Despite himself, he took one out, closed the fridge with his foot, and uncorked the bottle. Walking over to his couch, he loosened his tie and pulled it off. He took a swig of the beer and used his free hand to unbutton his black dress shirt. How Naruto got him in a dress shirt and tie, he didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that Kimura wouldn't come if he wasn't dressed up formally. Maybe it was because he looked dashing in silk. Or maybe it was just because Naruto insisted. Whatever the reason, he was never going to wear it again. It was awfully restricting and not at all enforced with flexible fibers. What would happen if he were to get ambushed, right this moment?

He rolled his eyes. _That_ would never happen. He threw his shirt to the other side of the couch and sat down. Taking another swig of his beer, he felt the burning sensation come on as the drink passed through his throat. If he just got drunk tonight, he could sleep, and worry about everything else tomorrow. But then again, he'll have a hangover before the mission. No…Sakura would fix that for him. But then _again,_ Sakura would probably intensify the pain instead of healing it what with the status of their current relationship.

"I'm so screwed." He whispered to himself before taking another drink. He then heard faint knocking on his door and groaned inwardly. If his visitor planned on coming in, they were sorely mistaken. It was far too late for Kakashi to be entertaining, and to tell the truth, he just didn't have the energy.

Walking to the front of his apartment, he twisted the knob and opened his mouth, preparing his protest for the late night visitor.

"Saku—!" He stumbled back a bit as she fell into his arms. With furrowed eyebrows, his arms were still outstretched, not yet welcoming her as he felt the wetness of her tears on his chest. "Sakura?" He said again, clearly confused by her behavior.

"He's gone," She started, the sobs already audible in her voice. "He's not coming back." Her ruby red fingernails were digging into his back as she clung to him with all her might. He stood there, shocked, staring at his opened door. "H-He's not coming back." Her sobs were louder now, and her body was shaking beneath his fingers. His hands never moved to comfort her. He didn't feel the need to.

He was at a loss for words as she continued to cry.

"Ren!" She shouted. It seemed she was taking all of her feelings of frustration out on Kakashi as she started to bang her fists on his chest. Finally getting over his shock, he stopped her coming fist and walked her over to his couch and sat her down. He went back to the door, closed it, and started to pace his small living room.

He never stared at her for too long. It was a quick glance every few steps. Each time, his eyes narrowed further. He didn't know what to do. Yell? No, not yet. Scold? How old was she, 12? That was out of the question. So, he used a sentence that could portray his current confusion.

"What the fuck, Sakura." He said, loud enough for her to hear, but it was barely above a whisper. She lifted her head from her hands as he continued to pace. "What the _fuck."_

He didn't know what to do now. He got the sentence off of his chest, and other than pacing, he was at a loss. So he settled for smacking his lips together. He heard her start to sniffle and glanced over at her again. Her head was back in her hands. If they were going into a routine, why not continue pacing? He had a feeling that he was going to run a groove into his floor, so he stopped in the far corner, facing the wall. And he got an idea.

So Kakashi tried the tactic that didn't work at the Hospital.

"Do you want to talk, Sakura." He stated. He should've asked; it probably would've eased her nerves and the embarrassment she was probably feeling. But who was going to ease his nerves? His embarrassment? He fucking killed any chances of them having an actual conversation by feeding into her provocation. _He_ took the bait. _He _told her Ren was never coming back. If she asked, he could say he was angry, but then she would know he was lying. Kakashi rarely gets blinded by anger and always picks his words carefully. With that in mind, it would make the situation even worse by saying he was angry. He cocked his head slightly.

He couldn't help the feeling of wanting to throw something. He couldn't help it. So he ground his teeth together and kept his foot on the floor in fear that if he started to pace again, he would stomp. And that would only serve to make her nerves worse. He had to think through her perspective. After trying to kill him, she came back to talk. That had to stand for _something._

She slowly picked her head up from his pillow and bit her lip. She nodded. Her shoulders dropped and she sighed as she ran her hand through her hair.

"I don't think you can understand what I've been through." He rolled his eyes.

"_This again,"_ He whispered. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

"What do you mean 'This again'? I'm trying to tell you—"

"Yeah, but I already know. You were in captivity. You were tortured, beaten, deprived, all of that. You can't continue to use that as an excuse, Sakura! You have to get over—" She slammed her fists down into his couch.

"Where the hell were you?" She exclaimed.

"What?" He breathed, in shock from her reaction and clearly not understanding the question.

"Did you take your sweet time, knowing I was to be tortured, or did you want me to come out the same way you are now?" He jerked his head back. What happened to the Sakura that came to him crying? The one that was there roughly three minutes ago? She all but disappeared with remnants of the tears on her face.

"What the hell are you talking about? We came for you, Sakura." She tipped her head back and laughed. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter, but it only served to make it louder.

"Three months…That's a long time, Kaka-sensei. A lot of things happened down there that you don't know about. That _I_ don't know about." Another laugh escaped her lips. "I've locked the best memories…the _sweetest_ ones, away. Somewhere in the far corners of my subconscious. That's why I didn't sleep. You know what they say. The scariest things come out at night." He sighed, rubbing a tired hand down his face.

"What did I do, or what didn't I do, for that matter, that you have so much pent up frustration towards me?" When he opened his eyes, he watched the trail of a single tear, fall down her face and hang at her chin.

"You weren't there."

* * *

><p>"I have to go." She said, looking at him through the corner of her eye as she grasped the doorknob. He slowly let go of her wrist.<p>

"This can work only if you want it to. You have to let go." She opened the door. "I'll be here for you, Sakura. We all will."

"I… I have to go." She repeated. He watched as she swiftly stepped onto the porch of his flat and dashed down the stairs. It was in those few shocking seconds that she seemed to disappear. Out of sight, but most definitely not out of mind. He shut the door and inhaled sharply.

What the hell was he supposed to do with that?

She didn't say she wanted to mend their relationship. She didn't say they could go back to normal. She didn't even nod. He was baiting her with that sentence, he knew. Where was her usual 'I know'? That alone would've reassured him, or gave him some peace of mind. But she said absolutely nothing. The only indication he got that she cared was that she stayed a sufficient amount of time for him to be able to tell her what was on his mind. And then some. But that was it. He told her that he wanted them to go back to the way they were before. Before the complications, the kisses, and of course, the fighting. After that, she just stood. She walked slowly to the door, and that was it. No confirmation, no agreement, not even a nod. Just an 'I have to go.' Twice.

What the _hell _was he supposed to do with that?

He couldn't be only one who wanted to mend their relationship. He knew that they felt each other drawing farther and farther apart. The difference between the both of them was that Sakura was the one pushing him away. Kakashi lied… a lot actually. But he could be truthful when he said that this was most definitely Sakura's fault. Whether he brought this upon himself, he couldn't tell if it was a fact or false.

If someone asked him what happened tonight, he wouldn't be able to tell them. Now that, that was a fact.

It wasn't because it happened fast, either. Everything played out rather slow, actually. She came to him crying, screaming Ren's name, and then she yelled at him. And of course, they had another argument. She threw a few pillows at him, which hurt, because she decided to lace them with her chakra. She also broke a few of his mugs. Those were replaceable, so he didn't really care. But it was in the midst of their argument that she got a hold of one of his special edition, author-autographed, Icha Icha books, that he had to get her calmed down. And Kakashi found long ago, that when he started to talk about his feelings, it shut Sakura right up.

Exhaling a breath, he walked from his door to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Grabbing as many beers as he could handle, he walked back to his couch and set them on the coffee table. He took his unfinished one, pulled out Icha Icha, and took a swig.

It was going to be one ugly night.

* * *

><p>He gritted his teeth as he quickly poured rubbing alcohol over his hand and bandaged it.<p>

Sasuke knew he would do anything for Sakura. And it should be that way after breaking her heart, what, three times? It was _better_ that way. And she would skin him alive if it wasn't. But he didn't do it out of fear, no. He did it because he loved her and he hated to see her hurt. Ren would've gotten way more than a punch if he were in Sakura's shoes. But he wasn't, and that was the problem. And he couldn't even really blame her for what happened, because, to tell the truth, Sasuke didn't see it coming either. Ren was treating her like he was supposed to, and Sakura was fine with it, so why shouldn't he be? So when he heard Kakashi talking about Ren sneaking around, he didn't really want to believe it at first.

Sakura was happy, and he was _not_ going to be the one to ruin it for her.

But he still went along with Kakashi's plan. And it turns out, he was right. As right as he always was. Still, Sakura got hurt in the end, which seemed to be a pattern these days, and Kakashi got blamed for it, also a pattern. It wasn't anything particularly new, but it sure wasn't a welcomed thing. The hostility between his teammates, it was unusual. Kakashi couldn't win whichever way you looked at it, and from Sasuke's point of view, their friendship was practically over with how the night ended.

But technically, the night could be blamed on either one of them. Naruto decided _not_ to act on his instincts. Of course, when the unpredictable ninja is needed for his instincts, he's not there. He saw firsthand how Ren acted at the beginning of the dinner when Kimura and Sakura started to fight. It should've been _then _that Naruto beat the living daylight out of Sakura's boyfriend. Pardon.

_Ex._

If that happened then, he wouldn't have cuts on his hands or a black eye.

"Lucky shot, Ren." He muttered to himself. The Interrogator may be notable in Grass for his information gathering skills, but he was weak in the taijutsu department. He just got a lucky hit, is all.

All in all, the night was pretty normal. Except for Ren pissing off Sakura's parents, then cheating on Sakura, resulting in Sakura breaking a few of Ren's bones and trashing the Strip Club. And just for existing, she threw Kakashi into a table. Then almost biting _his_ head off and damaging the security guard's ego in the process.

That was _exactly_ how he wanted to spend his Sunday nights.

Kakashi never knows how to leave well enough alone, and in this case, well enough was Sakura's heart. But was Kakashi the one who chased down Sakura's ex-boyfriend in pursuit of revenge? _No. _Better leave revenge to the original revenge-seeker, huh? It would be way more suiting if Kakashi chased down Ren. He's used to taking care of Sakura's dirty work, including _him,_ but now he decided he was going to duck out of this fight. He got to talk to Sakura, while he and Naruto got into a fight. And wasn't that just fun?

He shook his head softly, reprimanding himself. He was a bit salty, having a black eye as a reward for being Sakura's teammate, along with a boatload of cuts on his hand. And he should give Kakashi a bit more credit. Talking to her isn't as easy as it may sound.

Hearing the doorbell ring, he tightened the bandages on his knuckles, flipped the switch in the bathroom and went to cut off the television. Then, walking to the door, he twisted the knob and pulled.

"Sakura?" It was a bit too early for her to be showing her face when she was in one of her moods. And when she got over them too quickly, it was never a good thing. He took a subtle step back. "What are you doing here?" She let out a deep breath, and despite his inner protest, she stepped around him and stomped inside. He let out a sigh and closed the door.

She muttered something under her breath and plopped down onto the couch. Staring at the television screen that was still humming from its previous use, she turned to Sasuke with a blank expression plastered on her face.

"You were watching your infomercials again, weren't you." She stated. He opened his mouth to protest but she raised her hand, signaling him to stop. "That's not why I came here." Sighing, she pulled her knees to her chest, and propped her chin atop it.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" He took a seat beside her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Sadly, no. No, I am not okay." She unstrapped her heels and let them fall to the floor. "My boyfriend cheated on me, my father is _pissed, _and I don't even know what to do about me and Kakashi." He frowned. What was he, chopped liver? Surely Sakura's done something to piss him off as well. He should be on that list just as much as Kakashi was. Already tired, he grabbed the bridge of his nose to stifle the oncoming headache.

"So why did you come talk to me? I'm really not the person you should be going to for advice." She rolled her eyes.

"I know _that_. You're the only one available." He raised an eyebrow. "Ino's on a mission."

"Ah."

"Anyways," She started, smoothing her hair back into a ponytail with her fingers. "What am I supposed to do about Kakashi? I know I messed up—"

"Fucked up." She glared.

"_Fucked up,_ but I really want to go back to normal. Way before I started acting like a bitch to him, and way before I met Ren." He sighed.

"I'm no Ino, but I think her response to this would've been along the lines of 'Have you told him this yet?'" She frowned.

"Well, no, but—"

"Therein lies your problem. Kakashi's a genius, but he's no mind reader. He won't be able to tell that from you storming out of his house." She huffed a sigh.

"I didn't _storm._ I was actually very calm." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"For you to be calm, there must've been an argument in the mix. So tell me, did you stab him again, or did you just damage his property." She grabbed the pillow to her right and hugged it to her chest between her knees.

"Alright, Sasuke. Alright. I get it. I've been a bitch, I've been inconsiderate of his feelings, and I've been selfish. With all that happened to night…I just need some time."

"Time for what?" She grasped the pillow tighter.

"To _heal."_ She inhaled deeply and let it out through her mouth. "How can I just drop everything and forget about him? Kakashi told me to let go, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Especially since I still lo—"

"Don't say that." Sasuke warned. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not going to lie, Sasuke. It's true. Even after tonight." She let her feet hit the floor and wiggled her toes through his plush rug. Her attention was focused on her feet to avoid seeing his face. "I'm not like you guys. I can't just bottle up my feelings."

"But you did, Sakura." She looked up at him to see his eyes had softened. "When you came back from Grass, you didn't tell anyone anything, much less me. You let your subconscious rule your mind. I have to admit, I was really scared for your wellbeing." Her eyebrows narrowed further as she glared. "I know what you're going through—"

"How would you know? How would you know anything!" She yelled. "I don't need you to be scared for me, Sasuke. I can take care of myself." She scoffed and grabbed her heels. "I should've never come." As she headed for the door, he grabbed her wrist.

"Stop, Sakura." Her head whipped around as she tugged at his grip. "We care about you. _I _care about you. That's why we're worried. That's why you came, isn't it?" Ignoring him, her eyes lowered to his bandaged hand.

"What's that?" She snapped, pointing. He released her from his grasp.

"Burns," He lied. "From a new jutsu I've been working on." Her eyes narrowed as her nostrils flared.

"Liar." In a swift movement, the bandages were off of his hand as her eyes widened. "What the hell is that?" He looked to the ceiling apprehensively, as if asking for his help. Shaking his head subtly, he walked back over to the couch and sat. He sat up straight on the edge of the cushion as a means to let his arms hang off of his thighs. He was being as careful as possible of the still-stinging cuts that adjourned both sides of his right hand.

She examined the bloody bandages and folded them together. She had no knowledge in the chakra burn field, but she at least knew a simple burn from a cut. And that, that was a cut. She followed him back to the couch and stood above him.

"What did you _do?"_ She exclaimed with furrowed eyebrows. Those were nasty cuts, not to mention there were a lot of them, and they were bloody. More than 65% of his skin was gone, and the pink tissue that was left was bloody.

"I cut my hand." He stated nonchalantly. She had half a mind to slap him.

"No shit, dumbass!" She threw his bloody bandages on the table. "_How_ did you cut it?" She feared his answer, despite her demeanor. He rolled his eyes.

"It was supposed to be a simple fist fight—"

"Sasuke!" Her voice was high-pitched as she placed both of her hands on either side of her temples. This solicited another eye roll from him.

"Those Grass bastards have no 'Man Code'!" He shouted back, pointing to the window. "You don't use _jutsu_ in a fist fight!" She covered her eyes with her hands and lowered herself to his coffee table. He sighed. "He used this type of Grass native ninjutsu. It was a branch full of thorns, and I got my hand caught in it. Shredded my skin to pieces." Peering out through her fingers, she glanced down at his hand and the small puddle of blood he was creating on his hardwood floor.

She frowned and grabbed it, feeling satisfaction at the grimace he made. She pulled him after her and led him to the bathroom. It was really horrible, all the skin hanging off of his hand. If her memory was correct, she believed Sasuke left _before_ they started to teach all the genin self-administered first aid. But still, Sasuke must've been in some type of pain to just leave it like that. He at least knew better then to just wrap up a wound. Frowning, she took the hose from its place by the faucet and turned it on. She sprayed his hand with the cold water and rinsed the tissue that was left, along with her now bloody hands. She looked back up to him and noticed a single tear run down his face.

"Sasuke…are you crying?" His right eye started to blink rapidly as he willed the tears, and the pain, to stop.

"No." She turned off the hose and touched her fingers to his eye. She snatched it away quickly.

"Why is your eye throbbing?" She examined her fingers and found they were apricot now. She grabbed the hose and aimed it for his eye. He took a few steps back.

"Don't." He said, holding his hands up. Her eyes narrowed and she beckoned him to her with the hose. When he was close enough, she took a hand and forcefully rubbed it down his eye. He flinched. When she examined it, it looked as if his skin was smudged.

"So…am I missing something? Because it would be a real bad look if my ex-boyfriend turned gay. Not that I would have anything against you if you were gay…you know, this explains a lot." He shook his head fervently.

"N-no, no, no. You've got it all wrong. You see, I'm not gay." She cocked her head to the side.

"Explain the make-up, or I'm pulling up my dress." He sighed and rubbed the rest of the make-up off.

"Sakura, I have a black eye. To save face, I put on your concealer. Just until I could have it healed." She sighed.

"You really have to place your words more carefully, Sasuke." He rolled his eyes and extended his hand for her to finish the healing. She grabbed it.

It was silent for a while, Sakura was focused on her work, and Sasuke was focused on her. Why? He was clueless. What can he do for his friend? She's the type of person who likes to handle things alone, and this time, he just can't let her. Mostly because her personal health is at stake. What Grass did to her was devastating. What Ren did to her was horrible. What _he_ did to her was horrible. And to see their beloved teammate's brightness wither…well, it wasn't a beautiful sight. He was scared for her when she didn't eat. He was scared for her when she didn't bathe, or wash her hair. He was scared her when she started to lash out on Kakashi, the one she was closest to. When she didn't smile as much, when the crying came in abundance, and especially when she didn't seek anyone out for help, that was when he was scared the most.

He wasn't there for her. _That_ was the problem.

Naruto was there for her when Sasuke went off on a quest for revenge. Kakashi took her under his wing and sponsored her for Anbu after he broke her heart. They became closer, and Sasuke watched. He wasn't there for her while she was in captivity, Ren was. He got closer to her, while Sasuke was forced to sit in the Village and wait. Now that she's here, now that she's available to him, it was his turn. He couldn't watch her go down the road he went down. Not when he could stop it.

She caught him staring at her as she dried his hand. She reached for a washcloth, put it under warm water, then placed it on his eye.

"What?" She asked, removing the make-up from his face.

"I just want you to know that we would do _anything_ for you. We can't stand to see you hurt. You're not the only one with a temper and thin patience." It was his idea to find Ren, but he wouldn't tell her that. "I want to help you, Sakura. I really, really do. But you have to want my help for this to work." She sighed and dropped her hand.

"I don't know how to let go, Sasuke." She whispered, placing her hand on the side of his face as her healing chakra traveled to his eye.

"You can't just stop loving someone, Sakura. One thing you _can_ do is accept. Accept and forgive." She looked into his eyes.

"Accept what?"

"Everything. That he took your virginity, pissed your father off, and cheated on you." She frowned.

"That's a hell of a lot to accept." She muttered under her breath. Then she sighed, and removed her hand from his face to search his medicine cabinet.

"Look at it this way." He started as he let her re-bandage his hand. "Your virginity is something that should've been long gone. You're a Ku—" He stopped himself as she looked back at him. Remembering what happened to Kakashi when he used that derivative, he corrected himself. _"Ninja_, and missions like that are very high-paying. Now that you've gotten it out of the way, you're field of expertise is widened.

"You are your father's only child. And I have a feeling that since this is your first fight with him; it'll blow over pretty quickly. And lastly…" She tightened the bandage and looked up.

"Lastly?" He flexed his hand.

"Maybe the Gods just wanted you to know that Ren wasn't the one. You know the old proverb, 'Everything happens for a reason'. I don't know, I'm not Ino." She frowned; figuring his advice was what she didn't want to hear. "One thing I do know for sure is that once you accept, you can forgive." He said, patting her arm as he moved around her and out of the bathroom.

"How would you…" She trailed off and followed him to the bedroom. She watched as he pulled out a key.

"I've been down that road once before. I don't want you to follow." He said with sad eyes. That brief display of emotion was soon gone as he pursed his lips. "Are you staying?" Her shoulders dropped.

"Well I don't want to go home…" She muttered under her breath. He took the key and jiggled it through doorknob.

"Good." He pulled open the door as a wave of musty air hit her. "Remember the conversation we had about my eyes?"

* * *

><p>"Sasuke…one question." She said raising a finger with an arm held under her chest. A confused look was briefly on his face before he nodded his head slowly.<p>

"Yeah?" He replied unsure. She put her finger down and placed her hands on her hips.

"Do you blink when you have your Sharingan activated?" His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward.

"…Why would I?" She groaned and smacked a hand to her forehead.

"_Sasuke,"_ She groaned. "You always have to blink to keep your eyes moist and clean. When you don't, your eyes will get infected!" He rolled his eyes.

"It's a Sharingan. It doesn't get infected." She plopped down into the chair by the cabinet.

"And you have to ask _me_ why you're going blind?" He frowned. "Look, in some areas, your chakra channels are using more chakra than usual to keep your eyes uninfected, thus, preventing the blindness from spreading. And then you activate your Sharingan, and more chakra is used to power that. On top of all of these factors, you don't blink. _That's_ why you have chronic bleeding when you overuse your eyes. They're working too hard." She shook her head. "Keep this up; I'd give you about…half a year, at most." He told her that his vision was becoming a problem. He could brush it off before, but now, it was something he couldn't ignore. It was inevitable for him to seek help from her.

When he opened the adjourning door, she didn't know that he would've kept her medical room the same way it was two years ago. Albeit a little dust here and there, but it looked as though he managed it regularly. That was good because she had totally forgotten when they broke up, and it would've been a real hazard if it wasn't kept in top condition. Especially with all of her medical supplies and samples.

"So what do I do?"

"Blink, you bastard." Another frown. "I know it's going to look weird. Most Sharingan users don't blink at all. Take Kakashi for example. But most of the time, he either has his eye covered by his hitai-ate or closed." He rubbed a hand down his face. How was he supposed to blink with a Sharingan? It wasn't normal, and it was very uncommon. His brother didn't do it, so why should he? But that would be a bad counter-argument because he brother was nearly blind before he died.

"Are there any alternatives?" She sighed. He wasn't going to blink, and she knew it. Sasuke didn't do anything he didn't want to do, and they both knew that if Sasuke was blind he would function the same way, if not better, than he did when he could see.

"I could give you eye drops to take over intervals, and it would have to be very strict if it's going to substitute for your blinking. But then again, that wouldn't be very ideal for the battlefield. Your only other option is for me to put in a special request to an optometrist and get an order of contacts for you. This'll provide moisture to your eyes so you don't have to blink, and you'll be protected from outside infections." He narrowed his eyes as she finished.

"Do you still have your contacts?" He asked as she nodded. Sasuke was the first one to notice her vision just wasn't what is used to be. Maybe it was the fact that she accidently mistook Sasuke for Kiba while he was only a few feet away. But she was lucky. Her contacts were only needed for battle because they enhanced her vision and made it sharper, and she could wear her glasses whenever needed. Tonight she just needed her contacts to avoid her mother worrying about her vision if she were to wear glasses. That would immediately spark an argument about Sakura getting killed in the midst of battle because her glasses broke and she couldn't see. Typical.

She reached a hand to her eyelid and used two of her fingers to pull it wider. She used the thumb and index finger of her other hand to carefully slide the lens to the whites of her eyes and picked it up. She blinked a few times and extended her hand to show Sasuke.

"Your eyes will be irritated the first few times, but you'll get used to it." She repeated the same procedure with her other eye. When she had them in her hands, she took a Petri dish out of the cabinet beside her and placed her contacts in them.

"Can you reverse the process?" He asked, speaking of his blindness. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll try to reduce the amount of chakra being pumped to some areas and level it out between the chakra channels that run through your eyes. But I don't want to go into this blind; I'll do a little bit of research. If you can get me some of the medical files of your clan members who went to the Hospital for going blind, then I might be able to help you." She answered with a smile.

"I really appreciate this, Sakura." She nodded as she waved her hand.

"It's no problem, really. Now, if that's all, I'm going to retire for the night." He pushed off of the cot and followed her out of the room. Locking the door, he turned back to her as she walked over to his closet to see if he saved any of her clothes.

"Are you packed yet?" She started to move hangers aside and uniforms out of the way as she searched deep into his closet.

"Packed?" She said loudly. He walked closer and crossed his arms.

"For the mission, Sakura." She pulled her head out of the closet with some strands of her hair standing on end. In her hands was a pair of shorts and a tank top. She placed them on the chair beside her and started to slip out of her dress.

"Mission?" She said, kicking the material from her feet and started to put a leg through her shorts.

"To Yugakure?" She grabbed her tank top from the chair and pulled it over her head. She combed her fingers through her hair and put it up in a ponytail.

"Oh, _that_ mission." She started nonchalantly. "I'm not going on that mission." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and leaned forward.

"What do you mean you're not going on the mission?" He asked. She walked to the kitchen and he followed her. She shrugged her shoulders and opened his fridge.

"I don't know," She remarked casually, taking a bite out of a muffin, "I'm just not going." She turned around to look at him and saw that there was a frown on his face and his eyes were squinted.

"Sakura, they asked for you specifically. You can't just _not_ go!" She rolled her eyes and went back to his bedroom.

"I can do whatever I want. I just had a relapse with my mental health, so I don't have to go anywhere without having a signed release from my physician saying I'm fit for another mission." Sasuke sighed exasperatedly.

Her attitude was really getting to him.

* * *

><p>"Sakura, are you okay?"<p>

"For goodness sake,"

"Are you sure? Because—"

"For the last time, I'm alright!" Sasuke sighed as Sakura plopped back down on the bed. "Can I please go to sleep now?"

"I really want us to talk about this before you go to sleep." She pulled the covers to her face and groaned. She gave him one little compliment about his advice giving skills. You give him an inch, and he takes a mile. "You said you wanted help with you and Kakashi's relationship.

"I know, and I still do. I just don't know _what_ to do." She said, the dejectedness not hidden in her tone. She sighed. "I don't know, Sasuke. I just don't know." She sat back up and smoothed her messy hair back into the ponytail. "I've been taking him for granted since I came back, and I've been so hostile towards him the past few weeks. Kakashi is so damn annoying, but I really want to repair our relationship. Do you want to help me with that?"

"…So you dislike him, but you want to be…friends? I'm not catching your drift here." Sasuke said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"He's the one who cleans up all the shit I get into. So yes, Sasuke." She rolled her shoulders back. "If that answers your question, it's about midnight, and it's time for the both of us to get some shut eye. Especially since you have that mission tomorrow," She finished with a wink. Sasuke rolled his eyes and started to pull his shirt over his head. Sakura raised her eyebrows and put a palm up.

"Whoa there, hot stuff. What are you doing?" Sasuke's eyebrows were furrowed as he threw his shirt into the closet.

"I'm going to sleep." He drawled. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, obviously. A more accurate question would be: _Where _are you going to sleep?" He slid into the bed beside her with his jonin pants still on, and pulled the covers just above his waist.

"In my bed, the bed that I'm being nice enough to give you privileges to sleep in, which is in my house, the place that you are also staying tonight." She tugged on the covers and he glared.

"Couch." She demanded with the pointing of her manicured digit. He scoffed.

"You wish." She snatched the rest of the covers off of him. He sat up angrily and threw her a pointed look.

"Then at least go to the guest room." She grumbled.

He pointed to the ceiling. "My house," Then he pointed down. "My bed." She frowned. "Sakura, look. I know we're not dating anymore, and I'm not going to spoon you in your sleep. Just relax." She huffed a sigh and lay back down on the bed. Sasuke did the same, only with his back turned away from her.

"I'm serious, Sasuke." She whispered to his back. "Keep your hands to yourself, because I'm sure you wouldn't want a repeat of last time."

* * *

><p>"You spooned her again, didn't you." Kakashi deadpanned.<p>

"I'm pretty sure she started it," Sasuke retorted as Sakura walked dutifully behind him. Naruto snickered as he waved a hand in front of her dazed eyes.

"What do you think she's going to do when she wakes up?" He added, enjoying being able to put his hands in Sakura's face without getting them broken.

"If we just lay her down, I guess she'll be alright." Sasuke replied unsure. Kakashi rolled his eyes and pulled out Icha Icha Tactics.

"Yeah. You guess. Because that _always_ turns out right." Sasuke frowned.

"You know, she was going to skip the mission today. Something about a 'Relapse' in her mental health. Total bullshit." Kakashi looked back at Sakura. Thankfully, Sasuke at least had the decency to dress her up in standard jonin wear. Even if they were his.

"I wouldn't blame her." He replied as they walked into the building beside the Academy.

They walked up the many spiraling stairs to their Hokage's office. Sasuke, every few seconds or so, continued to look back at Sakura with a worried expression on his face. Maybe she'll be forgiving. Maybe he can laugh it off and reprimand her for thinking he was gay.

"Kakashi-sensei, look at Sasuke! He looks like he's going to throw up!" Sasuke turned and shot Naruto a glare. Kakashi knocked on the large double doors. He heard a faint 'Come in', and turned the knob.

"Hatake, you're here early. How'd you sleep?" She added sarcastically.

"Like a baby, Hokage-sama." He replied cheerfully. She rolled her eyes and peered around Sasuke.

"I understand you must've done something horrible to put her in a trance, but this meeting can't go on without her."

Sasuke's shoulders visibly dropped.

* * *

><p>He repositioned his shoulder and took in another shaky breath.<p>

Sakura was just so evil. She was a vindictive woman, he should've learned that ages ago. She was mean, and horrible, and just plain _nasty._ What did he ever do to make her come out like that? Okay, so he left for a few years, and maybe she harbored a bit of hate for him because of that, but he thought they were over that. At the exchanged, he bore all. She told him her feelings, and he told her his. That was the last step for Sakura to let go of their past, and truly forgive him. So what were they doing now? Reliving the past, he'd say. More specifically a 20th birthday party.

He felt the need to sigh, but he was sure that would hurt way more than the release it was supposed to provide.

He regrets his decision. He should've just taken the beating at home instead of being humiliated in front of his teammates _and_ their Hokage. It would've saved face and she wouldn't be _that_ vindictive as to make him walk all the way to her office with _another _black eye, broken jaw, dislocated shoulder, and two fractured ribs. Those of which he was sporting now. If he didn't have that nasty blow to the head she gave him, he would've figured out at the beginning that his fractured ribs was the reason it was getting so hard to breath. And pay attention to whatever Tsunade-sama was saying about their upcoming mission. He didn't care though. If no one in the room cared that he just got beat up by a woman, who is in fact way smaller than him, then they can brief him later.

That's just how _vindictive_ he was feeling at the moment.

So he quietly separated himself from the group and went to a corner in her office. He wanted attention and he wasn't going to listen until he got it.

"Since you don't have to be there until—Uchiha! Stop being such a baby and get your ass back over here!" Or until he was ordered by his Hokage. He slowly walked back to the group and made sure to stand as far away from Sakura as possible. He was left with Naruto, who thought it would be funny to poke him in the ribs and giggle. The bastard.

"As I was saying, you four don't have to be there until Wednesday. Since you're not getting paid because of that Grass stunt you pulled, I was nice enough to put a little of that money towards a ferry and a nice hotel." There was a 'Yes!' from Naruto. "Kakashi will go over your itinerary later. You are to leave in approximately two hours. Dismissed."

"Sakura-chan, I'm famished." Naruto whined as they left the building. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What do you want to eat?"

* * *

><p>Sakura stirred the cold noodles with a chopstick.<p>

The tension at the table was unbearable, and _everyone _felt it. Everyone except Naruto, who was obliviously gulping down his ramen noodles. Sasuke didn't order anything because he wanted attention for acting like such a little bitch. Kakashi sat to her left, and she already knew his noodles were long gone and he sat turning the pages of his porn every few minutes. There was tension, and she _hated _it.

She didn't know how to go about fixing it though. The main problem, sitting on either side of her, clearly had nothing to say. How would she talk to Kakashi? They weren't exactly back to normal with the way she left his house. So, since he wasn't at fault here, she decided to make the first move.

She placed a hand on Sasuke's thigh and he turned, a look of confusion on his face. He soon felt her chakra seep into his body and start to repair what she broke. It was only a few minutes later that her hand moved to his face since she could relocate his shoulder herself.

When she was done, she moved to lean on Kakashi shoulder, who immediately tensed upon contact. She placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed.

"Kakashi, I—"

"We can talk in private later." He said, giving her one of his sincere smiles. She shook her head.

"But…" He patted her shoulder and stood.

"Just pretend for now, Sakura. You're the best at that." She sighed, knowing that he meant what he said. She slapped Sasuke in the back and stood as well, ignoring the look he gave her.

"Come on, Naruto. We have to go to my house to pack." Naruto lifted the bowl and hurriedly drunk the rest before jogging to catch up with his teammates.

"So, what on earth did Sasuke do to get beat up…_again?" _Sakura folded her hands behind her back as Sasuke frowned.

"None of your business, loser." He grumbled.

"I told Sasuke before we went to sleep to keep his hands to himself. I woke up, and he was all over me. It was like a repeat of my birthday." Naruto started to snicker, and Kakashi, seemingly uninterested with his book in place, perked up at this.

"What happened on your birthday?" He asked, a grin in place.

"Stay out of it, Dobe." Sasuke warned. Sakura clicked her tongue.

"I was drunk, you know, I turned 20. But he didn't drink much alcohol and I made sure to tell him not to take advantage of me. I woke up half naked, and he was _still_ all over me." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"And that was the last time." This earned him a punch in the arm. He flinched; that was he dislocated shoulder. "I still need to be briefed."

"No. It was your own damn fault. You wanted to act like a bitch and stand in the corner, you can figure it out yourself." Kakashi chuckled as they walked up the steps of Sakura's apartment complex to her door.

"Now Sakura, that's not very nice." She frowned and took the key from under the mat.

"So what is she going to be? Movie star, dancer…what?" Kakashi clapped a hand on her shoulder as she reached around him to put the key in the lock.

"No, no, no. Our dear little Sakura-chan is going to be…a Prostitute."

* * *

><p>"And all of you are okay with this?" He exclaimed, pacing back and forth across her bedroom. She dug further into her closet and stuffed another pair of Ino's heels into her pack.<p>

"Sasuke, it's okay." She yelled, her voice barely heard beneath her clothes and uniforms. "I'm familiar with the job." His eyes widened.

"Familiar with the job? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto rolled his eyes as he turned another page in one of Sakura's gossip magazines.

"It _means_ that she knows how to act like a Prostitute. Duh," He never knew how interesting 'Who slept with who' or 'What movie star did what' would be. Now he finally gets it.

"That doesn't make it better." Sasuke finished with a sigh as he plopped down into her single armchair. Sakura appeared out of her closet with frizzy hair and a pair of red stilettos.

"Sasuke, look." She started, putting them into her bag and zipping it up. "I've done this in Anbu. It was for a mission, and now I can use it for this mission." Kakashi, who's position didn't change since they got into a room, pulled out a life-size poster.

"Who's that?" Sasuke said, pointing.

"Haruka Tan."

_**-Flashback-**_

"_So…I'm going to be a…"_

"_Prostitute."_

"_A Prostitute. Okay." She looked back down at poster in her hands, then back up to Kakashi. "So this Prostitute…me, what's my name?" He leaned against the dresser of the hotel they were staying in._

"_Haruka Tan." She nodded and looked back down to the poster. It wasn't long before she raised her head again._

"_So my name is going to be Tan?" Kakashi rolled his eyes._

"_Prostitutes do things differently. First name first, last name last." She scoffed._

"_That is so dumb." She took a quick glance at the poster and decided it wasn't half bad. Her photographer was a shady character, though. He was a small greasy man with a bad comb-over, but he clearly knew what he was doing. He had Sakura die her unusually pink hair another unusual color, cerulean blue. He also painted her toenails blue. He gave her artificial fingernails and long fake lashes that actually looked nice. She was sporting a leather jacket, similar to what Kiba usually wears, and a red g-string that matched her lips. The jacket, however, was too tight and too small, so it barely zipped and made her bust appear way bigger than it actually was. _

_He __**really**__ knew what he was doing._

_The pose however, she didn't exactly agree with. Both thumbs were hooked into the g-string, with one side being pulled down, showing more of her toned stomach. Her back was slightly arched and one shoulder was raised higher than the other. Her head was cocked to one side as the fan off camera blew her hair around. A slight smile that said 'I want you' was all over her face. All in all, it was pretty decent. For a Prostitute._

"_Do you want to know your mission?" She looked up at him._

"_What? Oh, yes please." He pulled a scroll out from one of the pockets of his flak jacket and opened it._

"_Kumo has a civilian ambassador sleeping with underage women from other countries. This will mess up many alliances, so the Raikage has asked for the Leaf's assistance. This is supposed to be a silent assassination, so it came to me. But, they want no trace left behind, so of course, that meant poison. And who else is better with poison than you?" She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips._

"_Flattering, Captain. But if I do say so myself, I have the feeling that a size 6 g-string was what got me this mission. This could've easily been done by you." He smiled._

"_That, and the fact that blue is just not my color." A pillow was aimed for his head. He easily dodged._

"_Stupid man."_

_**-End Flashback-**_

"At least Sakura told us she was living a double life," Naruto said nonchalantly as he bubbled in an answer for a 'Does he love you?' quiz. "What a teammate." Sasuke placed a hand over his eyes.

"So what are our names? We can't go as Naruto and Sasuke, that'll attract attention." Kakashi sat up as Sakura folded another dress.

"Naruto, you're Kumaji, and Sasuke, you're Sai." Sasuke's head jerked back.

"The replacement teammate? You couldn't think of _anything_ better?" Sakura turned to him, offended.

"Hey, he was here, and _you_ weren't. Deal with it." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I was short on time, and you're names are the closest. It'll be easier. For example, my name is Hatashi." Hearing Sakura's pack being unzipped again, he furrowed his eyebrows. "How many hooker clothes do you have?" Ignoring him, she stood and stretched.

"The Daimyo thought that Kakashi and I should be the ones dating, but Shishou argued that me and you already dated so it would be easier to get back into the role." She popped her neck and Kakashi cringed.

"So what are we doing here?" He asked as she moved to sit on the bed.

"You're my boyfriend, but I'm going to cheat on you with Yuuki. Naruto is your best friend, and Kakashi's my brother. Kakashi is supposed to occupy Mei while I have an affair with Yuuki. In the end, I don't know how it's going to turn out, but all I know is that the Daimyo wants the wedding off." Naruto shook his head.

"He doesn't love her anyway—"

"Would you get out of my magazines?" She exclaimed. He frowned, and put it back into the box he found it in. Not before slipping another one into his vest.

"If you're done, can we go now?" Naruto whined, suddenly bored now that he didn't have the magazine to occupy his time. She unzipped the flak jacket and pulled the jonin shirt over her head.

"Yeah, you guys go on ahead. I have to change, so I'll meet you at the gates." She stepped out of the pants and tossed them to Sasuke. Naruto slapped a hand over his eyes as Sakura bent over to pick up her skirt. She fixed her hands behind her back to unhook her bra, but then turned and gave a pointed look to Kakashi and Sasuke. "Um, in _private?_ Geez." She rolled her eyes as they hurriedly left the room. "Bastards." She muttered, throwing her bra in the closet and grabbing her mesh shirt. After that was on, she grabbed her overcoat from its hanger and put her arm through it. She found it smelled faintly of cinnamon, and the sleeves were just a bit too big.

She tensed as her eyes widened in realization.

'_He's still here,'_ She thought, feeling a sharp pain in her chest.

"Sakura, are you okay?" She turned to the speaker and quickly wiped a stray tear off of her cheek. She then smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She removed the jacket and threw it deep into her closet. Finding her own, she slipped into that and put her pack on her shoulders. "Kakashi, were you spying on me?" She said, amusement in her voice.

"On you?" He scoffed. "Not my type." He followed her out of the bedroom and to the door.

"You're not exactly 'Mr. Charming' either." She said, closing and locking the door behind her. They started their trek down the stairs of her apartment complex.

"Where are we going?" He asked. The Village gates were in the opposite direction, and she didn't look like she was about to turn around.

"I'm just going to Ino's to pick up a few of her clothes." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued to follow her.

"I'll go with you." She stopped in her tracks.

"You really don't want to see her closet, Kakashi." He narrowed his eyes, not believing her one bit. She placed a hand on his upper arm and squeezed. "Go. I'll be fine, I promise." She finished with a smile. He sighed and turned around.

"Ten minutes, Sakura. Or I'm coming to find." She broke off into a run.

"Okay!" She yelled back. He released another breath.

He didn't mean to pry, but Ino's house was in the other direction as well.

* * *

><p>One floor, blue, two windows in front, deadbolt lock. She raised a fist and knocked three times on a white door that wasn't there previously. Probably because the previous door was destroyed on a rampage.<p>

She heard footsteps and took a deep breath as the knob was turned. She was greeted by a smile that quickly fell. Hers didn't falter.

"What are you doing here?" She knew she was unwanted, and it wasn't just because of the surprise and clipped tones not hidden in their voice. Gathering her bearings, she folded her hands behind her back and inhaled sharply.

"TenTen. I know we've had issues with each other in the past. And I know they started because of me." She brushed her bang aside. "I knew you liked Neji, and with the Spring Festival coming up, you two were destined to go together. But I had no date. Sasuke was still revenge-stricken. With that in mind, I went to your birthday party with a plan. I decided to spend the night with Neji. One thing led to another, and…he kissed me. He asked me to the Festival instead of you.

"I was 16 and selfish. Everyone had a date. Even Naruto could get anyone he wanted to go with him. That event alone caused all of this hate between us." Sakura smiled again and extended her hand. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" TenTen narrowed her eyes as the door was slammed in her face. The wind blew her hair back and she nodded.

That was all she needed. And with amazing clarity, she felt better. She wiped her eye and smoothed her hair back.

"How long have you been standing there?" Kakashi jumped from off of the roof and landed behind her.

"You were always best at the masking technique." She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her overcoat and began to walk as Kakashi fell into step beside her.

"I'm a medic. If I can appear dead, I should at least be able to mask a little chakra, or tell when chakra is being withheld." He nodded as she started to kick pebbles that came across her path.

"What was that about?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I used to think that she started it. She slept with Sasuke, so I hated her. But I stole her date. I was the one who created this mess." Kakashi jerked his head back.

"She hated you because of a date?" She rolled her eyes.

"Kakashi look, we were all turning 17, and the Spring Festival would be the first grown-up Festival we got to go to. If you didn't have a date, you were cursed to stay that way for another 17 years." He blinked.

"Is that true?"She let out a small laugh and pushed his shoulder.

"No, you Baka. It's just another myth we made up as kids." She let out a deep breath. "I thought that maybe if she could forgive me, everything could go back to normal. But it's not just about that. It's about me letting go. By accepting the fact that I stole her date and she slept with my boyfriend, I could forgive her. A _huge_ weight has been lifted off my chest." When Sasuke told her to accept, she thought it to be impossible. How could she forgive someone who did something horrible to her? But it was Sakura who did something horrible to TenTen. The hard part would be accepting what Ren did to her. "I can't let go, Kakashi. I'm not going to be able to do it."

"That's Bull." Her head whipped around to face him.

"Where did that come from?" He hasn't said that since forever. And it warmed her heart to hear it.

"You told me yesterday that you wanted to go back to normal. To the bets, the racing, just plain old Kakashi and Sakura. So I'm going to help you let go." She bit her lip as he continued to look forward. "Ren was the only one there for you in captivity. That's true. It's because of that fact that you harbored hate for _us,_ your teammates, because we weren't there for you." Her eyes widened.

"That's not true! I can't—" He raised a palm.

"Let me finish." She closed her mouth as he stuffed his hands back into his pockets. "You cried for us every day, and we didn't come for you, Sakura. So you clung to Ren. There was a little part of you that hated us for not holding true to our promise of coming back for you." He knew the tears were to come sooner or later. Her lip was faintly quivering and her focus was on the ground. "Your mind won't let you accept that we came back for you. You couldn't see us; Setsuna covered your eyes. You didn't know that we escaped because you were unconscious. Your mind is making you think that you're still in captivity. That's why you killed Grass at the Exchange. That's why you fell in 'love' with Ren. Your mind isn't connecting with your eyes. What you're thinking isn't corresponding with what you're seeing.

"Forgive us, Sakura. Forgive me, forgive Sasuke, and Forgive Naruto for not coming for you in time. When you forgive us, you can accept what Ren did to you. You can forgive him because you won't _care_ about him. Because you'll know that we're here. That we'll always be here." Tears were streaming down her face as she nodded vigorously. She put her hands over her mouth to stop the sobs from escaping as she felt the wetness trail down her hands and arms.

He watched her cry for a few minutes, but she soon used the sleeves of her coat to wipe her tears from her face. They've long since stopped walking towards the gates and she was leaned on a tree while he stood in front of her. He heard heavy footfall as Naruto and Sasuke dropped in front of them.

"Where have you been, Sensei? You were right behind us!" Naruto had an orange ring around eyes, telling him that he had to use his Sage Mode to find them.

"Shut-up, Naruto." Sasuke warned, seeing the slight puffiness of Sakura's face. He didn't know what happened between that period of time, but he just hoped that she didn't see Ren.

"Alright everyone, it's about time that we got going. We've got about thirty minutes to get to Otafuku Gai or we'll miss our ferry."

* * *

><p>"How long has she been in there?" Sasuke asked, leaning over the railing. Naruto sat a little ways over in a corner, indulging himself in the magazine he borrowed from Sakura's room.<p>

"Since a little after we got on the ferry." Naruto replied, flipping a page. He didn't know what was wrong. Sakura hasn't told him anything lately, so he was just going to go with his instincts and say she was on her period. It was as good as any guess. Sasuke frowned.

"Kakashi, I think you should go check on her." He was propped up against the railing with one foot on the floorboards and the other foot balanced against the bar.

Sakura was getting better, and he was sure everyone could see it. She made conversation on their way to Otafuku Gai and to the Port. She smiled more, laughed more, hell, she even teased them a bit. But after they boarded the ferry and checked in, she retired to their room. No one has seen her since. Now, it was a fairly large boat. Anyone of them could easily sneak off without the other knowing. But Sakura, as a means to avoid confusion, would at least come and tell them before going off to enjoy many off the free amenities they received. Seriously, Tsunade-sama splurged on their tickets.

He pushed off of the railing and walked across the deck to the other side, tugging at his heavily layered scarf. He started down the steps. Hearing noise, he stopped abruptly on the landing before their floor.

"Sakura?" It could be anybody, really. But their room was closest to the landing. He continued to walk and reached into his pocket to pull out a key. He jiggled it into the lock and pushed the door open. "Sakura?" He repeated. She was sitting cross-legged in front of the bed with a picture frame smashed in front of her, another picture in her hands. The room was a mess.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I'm so, so, sorry." She took a deep breath and choked it out as tears fell from her eyes. _She_ was a mess. The hair that wasn't in a ponytail clung to her face. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips were bruised. How many times has he told her not to bite them? His eyes trailed to her clenched fist.

"Sakura, you're bleeding." He closed the door and rushed to her side. He wasn't a medic, and his view of first aid was a bottle of beer, a needle, and some thread. Basically, he roughed it. So he didn't know if he was helping or hurting her when he opened her hand and pulled out the shards of glass embedded in her skin. He snatched his fingers back as her hand started to glow green. "Whoa." The deep cuts in her skin were soon closed and all that was left was dried blood. If they weren't in such a serious situation, he would comment about how cool that was. He shook his head lightly and turned his attention to the picture in her hand as she continued to cry.

It was their team.

The most recent picture of them, to be exact. It was sometime after Sakura's birthday. They had to take an updated picture of their squad as equals. This time, it was the truth. They were all in their standard jonin uniforms. Kakashi and Naruto were on the ends, while Sasuke and Sakura were in the middle. Kakashi had his hands stuffed in his pockets, while Sakura, who was next to him, had her hands on her hips. She was gushing of course, standing beside Sasuke, who had his arms folded across his chest and the usual smirk in place. Naruto was as carefree as ever, slapping a hand on Sasuke's back with a grin on his face. He barely remembers taking that picture. Probably because that was back in the happier times. When everything was as it should've been. Kakashi withdrawn, Sasuke dating Sakura, and Naruto a best friend to them both. Now that things have changed…

He looked in front of her where the smashed picture was. This one was of her and Ren. He remembers that outfit because that's what she wore when she blew him off for rock climbing. His eyes turned back to her.

"You came for me, Kakashi. You really, really came." She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her closer. "Thank-you for coming for me." She inhaled his scent deeply. The scent that smelt faintly of wood, with a hint of spice. The scent that she's become accustomed to. The scent that warmed her, that made her feel like everything was alright again. This scent accompanied a person who was dearest to her. One who cared and did everything damn well possible to bring her back. This scent accompanied the person who saved her from her own demons. She released the breath through her mouth and smiled.

"Kakashi?" She asked, one hand gripped the back of his neck, the other held onto his hair.

"Hm?"

"I forgive you.

* * *

><p><em>Well, it's finally up! It took a lot of editing, and a lot of starting over. The computer that the original chapter was on crashed, so I had to go back to my old one and revise it again. Sorry for the wait though, hopefully the next chapter can be up faster. Clash is still ongoing; I won't put it on Hiatus. It just won't come as fast as it used to…so don't hold your breath. Seriously, you might die. Review please!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	15. Detours

**Detours**

* * *

><p><strong>Later Last Night<strong>

She emerged from the bathroom, wiping her hands down her front. Kakashi, hearing the door open, set the remote down and slowly turned towards her.

"Hey," He said, grabbing the phone. "You feel better?" She ran her fingers through her cherry blossom tresses, then continued to put her hair up into a ponytail. When she was done, she placed a hand on her head and went to sit on the bed. Their sleeping area was raised on a platform and consisted of a bed, a nightstand, a closet, and a bathroom. It was divided from the rest of their room by a half-wall and stairs. These led down to the small kitchen with a round table and four chairs around it. Farthest from her was the living room where Kakashi was seated. There was a coffee table, a television, two armchairs, and a small couch. Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Yeah…" She furrowed her eyebrows; her vision dazed. Kakashi raised his as she shook her head. "Yeah, I'm just never going to a bar with you again." He laughed softly.

"You've got that right. It's gotten dangerous, especially since you got poisoned." Her eyes widened.

"By you, you bastard!" Her eyes squinted as a shock of pain overtook her temples. With a hand squeezing her forehead, a rush of medical chakra surged through her veins. She continued. _"You_ spiked my drink!" She whispered harshly. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned back around.

"Only because you spit in mine—"

"I spit in yours because _you_ spiked _mine_!" He sighed.

"Like I told you: Dangerous." She rolled her eyes.

"Like I told _you:_ I'm never going to another bar with you again." It was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Anyway, you want something to eat or drink?" He lifted the phone in his hand and she frowned.

"Drink? I don't think I can trust anymore drinks, especially with you around." He sighed.

"Come on, it was all in good fun. It's a part of life. And besides, if I were to tell you how many of Guy's drinks I've spiked, you'd probably feel the urge to arrest me. He practically lives on the stuff now…" Her eyebrows rose.

"And you feel that I should end up like Guy because…?" Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I just threw up for 30 minutes straight—"

"It was on and off…" He muttered.

"—I had to use my medical ninjutsu to try to flush out whatever _poison _you put in my drink, and even then I was still gagging." He pursed his lips.

"And I thought you were one of the best medics across the 5 Great Ninja Villages. Pfft." He said tauntingly. She sighed.

"Just get me some grape juice. Maybe even some anko dumplings if they have it." Kakashi nodded. Remembering the phone in his hand, he dialed the few numbers for room service.

"Hello? Yeah, uh…grape juice, oh and a few bottles of beer."

"Kakashi, you're still partially drunk. No beer." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Of beer? Just one pack will suffice." She rolled her eyes. "Do you have any anko dumplings? You do?" He put a hand over the receiver. "Do you want any toppings?" She put a hand on the top of her head.

"God no, it'll make me gag again." He nodded.

"No, no toppings…Room 26A. Thanks." He hung up the phone and threw it on the seat beside him.

"So what do you want to do? Naruto and Sasuke are still at the bar, but that's to be expected. It sets us back though, because we can't do any mission planning." Sasuke and Naruto spent their every waking minute at a night club, rather, anywhere that featured scantily dressed women and poles. That could be due to the fact that time has been kind to Naruto. Over the years, as he's grown boyishly handsome, his innocence had to leave to make room for his ego. He was no Genma, thank Kami, but he was turning into a barbaric, sexist pig. In other words, a man. Of course, when Sasuke came back and they became reacquainted, he didn't like the fact that his face was no longer the center of attention for these girls. It was Naruto's. So now, anywhere that boasted drinking and sometimes 'XXX', it was sure to be their getaway.

She smiled. This thought reassured her that Sasuke was indeed straight. Therefore, she wouldn't be the last girl he was with, making it her fault if he _did_ turn gay. _That,_ that had to be one of her worst fears.

Kakashi caught her smiling to herself and cleared his throat, raising the book in his hand. "Well, uh… I was just going to read, but if you had something better in mind…" She pursed her lips, staring at the stop sign and the warning on the cover of his book.

"If I may ask, and this may seem like Déjà-vu, what is so addicting about those books?" He rolled his eyes.

"You have to know it's not just smut; there's a catching plot mixed in with very thought out characters that any man can relate to." She narrowed her eyes at his quick and elaborate response. Raising her eyebrows, she leaned forward. "It's not just sex, but it is _good_ sex. And it's for mature readers. If you ever took the time to read it, and stop judging this book by its cover, you'd know. _And_ wish you were the main character's counterpart." He winked at her. She put a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. _"That's_ why it's for mature readers." Gasping, she folded her arms underneath her chest.

"I am mature!" She huffed. He threw her a pointed look. Sighing, she rose and walked over to the couch he was occupying. "Remember when you guys came over? I watched that whole movie myself. And I do admit; there was a catching plot. A damn good one. But there was either sex or suggestive themes in almost every scene that included a woman!" His eyes narrowed; a glint in them as he stood to match her gaze.

"That's bull." Her head jerked back.

"Oh really?"

"Just admit that you couldn't take it and I'll back off." She frowned.

"I can't admit that because it's not _true."_ He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah right. You could barely stand the cut version. Why don't you watch the _un_cut version, and we'll see how mature you _really_ are." Her eyes widened.

"That was the cut version?" She said, her voice high-pitched. Kakashi mouthed the words 'mature readers', which made her clear her throat. "You're on." She said as determination shone on her stern face. Kakashi chuckled lightly to himself.

"Loose morals, check. You know, we really have to stop getting you poisoned." He muttered as she glared at him.

"Just know this, Hatake," She said, poking a finger on his chest. "When this movie is over, you need to find yourself a couch to sleep on." His eyebrows furrowed as he heard a knock on the door and room service announce themselves.

"And why is that?" She turned on her heel, walking back over to the bed and dropped on her back.

"_Because._ You can't find a balance between drinks and sex. You become an animal after watching movies like that, and I refuse to be your unconscious blow-up doll… _again."_

**Now**

She bucked under him as he bit her navel. Her hands fisted in his hair as her head ground against her pillow. He returned to her lips and made hasted kisses around them. She turned her head to give him access to her neck; he took the offer willingly. He felt the vibration of her moan through her throat.

"Kaka—" He froze, eyes widening.

"_Shit."_ It was this realization that had him thrown off of her and crashing into the wall of their room.

"Oh my God." Sakura shot up; her hands clapped over her mouth. _"Oh my God."_ Kakashi used his hand to help him sit up as he let his head fall against the wall. Meanwhile, Sakura smoothed a hand down her hair as she sat on her knees. "Did we…" She started, leaning forward. Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows. "Kami. Kami, Kami, Kami." She moved quickly off of the bed and into the bathroom. Inspecting her neck in the mirror, she saw a series of bluish-purple marks. They continued down her chest and stomach, ending at her navel. Her eyes widened. "Oh my God!" She yelled, standing in the bathroom doorway. "What did we _do?_" Kakashi sighed and then grunted, raising himself up from the wall. Sakura took this as some sort of confirmation; her eyes widening. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. She was overreacting as usual.

"What if—What if you didn't use a condom?" His eyebrows rose as he started towards her. "What if you got me pregnant? I don't want you to be the father! I don't even want to be _pregnant._ Oh God. My baby's hair will be gray—"

"_Silver,"_ He corrected. She ignored him.

"—and kids will make fun of them, and I'll have to beat up their parents, but then no one will like me, then I won't have any friends in my old age, and all I'll have is you in your _older_ age, and then I'll have to kill you because you'll read the books in front of my children, and then my children won't have a father—" He reached her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Sakura, _breathe."_ She inhaled sharply. "We did _not_ have sex. Trust me, none of that will have to happen." Exhaling, she tried to make sense of the situation.

"…So…we didn't, have sex…correct?" He nodded. Her previously opened mouth turned into a scowl, her head cocked to the side. He took a step back, but it was too late. She lunged for him and they both fell to the floor, her hands at his throat as she moved closer to his face. Her lips were pursed now and her eyes had intent to kill.

"Look, Sakura—" He pleaded, apology on his lips before she cut off his air supply. This caused her momentum to fall as she sighed, her shoulders dropping.

"What the hell, Kakashi." She removed her hands from his throat. "I'm tired of ending up in these compromising situations." She crossed her arms under her chest. He rolled his eye.

"You're not the only one—"

"Then how does this keep happening? If I'm not mistaken, even in my barely conscious state, I could tell we weren't that far from you ripping my panties off." She said, throwing a pointed look his way.

"You act like _I_ was conscious. Besides, you're the one who said my name…" He muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." She huffed a sigh, letting her arms drop. He narrowed his eyes, following to where her arms previously rested a few seconds ago. He noticed a large, discolored burn peeking out from under the lace of her bra. Her eyes caught his gaze and the burn disappeared.

"What are you looking at?" She questioned accusingly, rising from atop him and heading towards their sleeping area to find her robe.

"You never healed it?" She found her pack and started rummaging through it.

"Healed what?" He rose and moved closer.

"That burn, from when Sasuke—" Her head whipped around as she tightened her robe in place.

"Come on, we have to hurry. I still have to input your other contact and alter your face." She nodded at his half-nakedness. "If you don't want Naruto going crazy over unmasked identity, I suggest we do this before they wake up." He frowned. She side-stepped his question, _and_ found something to occupy their time so it wouldn't pop up again.

Clever. But why would she be hiding the burn? He definitely didn't want their conversation to lead to more problems. He definitely didn't want her dwelling on this.

"So…your navel, huh?" A pillow was thrown aimed for his head.

"Shut-up!"

It wasn't the best way to get her out of her thoughts, but it was the fastest. Besides, it couldn't be his fault that he was the first person to find her g-spot.

…Or maybe it was wrong of him to look for it.

* * *

><p>"Kami, this hurts." He said through gritted teeth.<p>

"I'm almost done. Besides, this hurts me too." He opened his Sharingan eye.

"You're twisting _my_ bones around, and you're hurting?" He squeezed his eyes shut and Sakura grunted as his last bone shifted into place. She removed the hand from her face and from underneath his cheek.

"I have to copy my bone structure, facial genetics, and the muscles from my face. I have to literally tear them, and then copy them using my chakra. After that's done, I can transfer the genetic material from my body to yours, then I can heal myself. Do you understand why it hurts us both?" He smiled, and nodded.

"So, since I understood _nothing_ of the medical jargon you just spouted at me, I'm going to ignore your question." It hurt to do so, but a frown appeared on her face. "Anyway, could you like, numb my face or something? I'm not one to complain about pain, but this hurts like a bitch." And that was true. If Sakura had cut his face open with a kunai, that would've been a different story. He could've toughed it out until she healed him. But she wasn't cutting his face open, she was moving bones. There was nothing to heal.

"I don't think you know how much chakra this took out of me, Kakashi." He sighed. "By the way, my face is kind of burning right now. My muscles are still torn, and I have to repair them. Whatever chakra I have left, I'll use it on you. But for now, just put something cold on it." He sighed and stood, but stopped as her face started to glow.

"Okay, so…that's getting really creepy." She rolled her eyes.

"And stop opening your good eye. I didn't have a chance to seal it last night due to…_other_ circumstances." He winked at her; she threw a coaster. "And since those aren't regular contacts, using them before their sealed will render them useless." She stood, walking to her open pack and grabbed a shirt.

"What, so you want me to walk around with my Sharingan open?" He asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. She untied her robe and let it fall to the floor as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"No. Hell no. It creeps me out when you do that." He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Itachi—"

"Kami, why does everyone always bring him up around me? He's not an excuse!" She exclaimed as Kakashi snickered.

"Because everyone knows you had sexual fantasies about him." He taunted. She pouted as she pulled on her shorts.

"I was like, 16—"

"You were 19, he was dead, and you were dating his little brother."

"Scary, isn't it? Sometimes I feared losing her because of that." Sasuke said; two white bags in his hands. Naruto closed the door behind him. "She was borderline obsessive."

"Eavesdropper much?" He shrugged his shoulders and sat at the table.

"This may be a deluxe ferry, but that doesn't mean the money went into the rooms' infrastructure. You can hear a lot when your next-door neighbor is yelling, and especially through paper-thin walls." She stuck her tongue out at him, putting her hands on her hips.

"_Anyway,_ I wasn't 'borderline obsessive'" She said using quotes. "And you didn't lose me to your dead brother; you lost me to your piggish ways." He frowned. "And on top of that, you dumped me!"

"Now, now. Let's not be hostile." She frowned. "And if I remember, _you _dumped _me."_ She rolled her eyes.

"Takes a real man to admit that, bastard. Kudos." Naruto added from his spot on the couch. Sasuke raised a fist in agreement. Sakura, ignoring them both, turned to Kakashi who was currently resting face down on the bed.

"That's not how I remember it. Right, Kakashi?" She said through forced tones, daring him to say otherwise. He took the bait.

"In all actuality, I've heard every version. In the end, nobody broke up with _anybody._" Sakura glared in his direction. "Now if you please…talking really hurts right now—"

"Ha," Sasuke said, enjoying the fact that she was wrong.

"Well then, Sasuke-kun," She said walking over behind his seat. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Consider yourself dumped." A hiss was heard from Naruto.

"Ouch. Sorry man." Naruto said. Sakura patted him on the back.

"Stay strong," Kakashi offered, his voice muffled by the pillow. Sasuke put a hand on his heart.

"This broken heart will heal," He said, feigned sadness. "Although, this new wound hurts like a _bitch."_ Sakura sighed at the ignorance of her teammates.

"Don't worry, Teme. It's a part of life. You would've had to experience it sometime—"

"Have you ever even _had_ a girlfriend, Naruto?" He threw her a pointed look.

"Woman, you wouldn't _believe."_ She rolled her eyes. "And why are you always bagging on me?" Sakura sighed, taking a seat on the bed beside him. This caused the mattress to roll, and Kakashi along with it. He was promptly pushed off of the bed when his nose touched her behind. Despite him, she continued.

"_Because,_ Naruto. I've never actually seen you with the same girl for more than four days." His eyes widened in shock. She rolled her eyes, fearing a rant.

"I can't believe this—you don't think I can stay in a relationship long enough to be dumped?" She wasn't disappointed. Looking to the ceiling, she thought about how, first of all, no girl would _ever_ dump Naruto. He just doesn't have that 'jerk' personality to be, and it's not like he's unattractive. Either way, her comment would turn his feigned reaction real, so it's better to start now rather than later.

"No, it's not that. It's just—"

"That." Sasuke chimed in. "It's just that." Sakura shot him a glare as Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Well, _Bastard,_ I'll have you know that I've been in a lot of stable—"

"Steady," Kakashi corrected, propping his elbows up on the bed from his position on the floor.

"—_Steady _relationships." Sasuke scoffed.

"Name one." Sakura slapped a hand on her forehead, knowing how this would end: Naruto yelling at the top of his lungs until he's proven his point. If Sasuke had just kept his mouth shut…if _she _just didn't mention the word 'girlfriend' around Naruto. Speaking of which, said womanizer had a finger on his chin in thought. It was raised a few seconds later.

"Aha! Hinata." Naruto exclaimed triumphantly with his arms crossed over his chest. Sasuke wagged a finger at him. "What? We were together for 11 months!" They frowned.

"It was 5 and-a-half months, and you both found that a relationship isn't what you wanted…only after a few altercations between you and Kiba because of rumors turned true. That can't exactly be called 'steady'." Sasuke finished, remembering the talk going around about Hinata and Kiba while she was with Naruto. The talk that Naruto refused to believe. No, that relationship was definitely not for them.

"It's not like it's my fault. I tried…" Naruto said with a frown. It wasn't like he didn't hear the rumors; it went around every store, building, and street. But there was a difference between hearing and _listening. _After all those years of her bordering on a stalker, Naruto wasn't what she wanted anymore.

"Well, I know you don't want to hear it, but Hinata was the only girl that you had a chance of being in a steady relationship in…even marrying. You two were meant to be." Naruto's face contorted, then his expression turned to anger as he pointed an accusing finger back and forth between her and Sasuke.

"You and him were only together for 5 months, too!" He blurted out. She pursed her lips. He was grabbing for straws. She sighed, closing her eyes as her hand went to rest on her forehead.

"It was two years, Naruto."

"Then why didn't you marry him?" Her eyes shot open, her mouth ready to protest. Without words to say, she closed it.

"Fine." He let out a 'Hn'. "But that still doesn't explain why you've never had a steady woman by your side. You're a handsome boy, Uzumaki. There's no reason why you should still be club-hopping. You're 22, and you're not getting any younger." Naruto sighed. He hated these lectures.

"I'm fine the way I am, Haruno." He grumbled.

"Besides, you can't have a girlfriend if you're always messing with women." Sasuke turned at this.

"Speaking of women, he met someone at the club last night." He narrowed his eyes. "He thinks he's in love." He whispered behind his hand. She laid back on the bed, falling on Kakashi.

"Ouch—" She roughly pushed him over. "Hey, would you stop that?" He exclaimed. Ignoring him, she laid on her back. "Naruto, who is she?" He sighed, rolling his eyes in pleasure.

"A goddess!" She closed her eyes.

"How many times have we heard that before?" He frowned.

"It's for _real."_

"How many times have we heard _that_ before?" Sighing he ran a hand through his hair.

"Sakura, can we be serious, please?" Sasuke looked up, noticing the tone of his voice. His attention turned to Sakura. She pursed her lips and sighed, raising herself from the bed and walking over to take a seat beside Naruto.

"Finally, she's gone." Kakashi muttered.

"Shut-up," She retorted. Placing a hand on his knee, she moved closer. "Who is she, Naruto?" He smiled.

"Like I said: a goddess. She's a dancer, with striking black hair. It's really long—" He looked behind her. "—But it doesn't reach her lower back like yours does. Some...5 inches before it." She examined a strand of her hair falling over her shoulder.

"So…black hair." His eyes brightened again.

"And she had light blue eyes, and they were really big. She was short, but taller than you. Says a lot about your height." He said behind his hand. She smacked it away. "Anyway, I was already caught by her face, and then I found out that she wasn't a stripper. So, I borrowed some money from Kakashi and bought a private show." Kakashi shot up at this.

"I didn't lend you any money…" Kakashi stated.

"Eavesdropper, this is a private conversation." Naruto added as he frowned.

"Well, you weren't exactly whispering, dickhead." Sasuke said.

"I also heard 'Kakashi' and 'money' in the same sentence. And since I _didn't_ lend you any money, you stole it." His eyes narrowed. "So, Naruto, how much did she cost?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"Just 50,000 yen—"

"50—50,000 yen?" Kakashi stuttered. He didn't even have that much money in his pockets last night, meaning Naruto went through his stuff _and_ pick pocketed him. Luckily, he coerced Sakura into buying their drinks. Especially since he was only carrying 5,000 yen.

"But I liked her a lot, so I went and bought her a necklace. That was only about 20,000, so—" Kakashi raised his arms and dropped them exasperatedly at his sides.

"That better had been the best fucking sex you've _ever_ had for you to have spent 70,000 of _my_ money." He exclaimed. Naruto pursed his lips at this.

"The thing about it is…we didn't _have _sex. I didn't ask, and she didn't either. Mostly because she didn't offer sex, but that's beside the point." He waved a hand. "She's the full package. She wasn't a dancer who slept around, she didn't strip publicly, and she didn't even recognize me when I told her my name!" Kakashi ran a hand down his face.

"You _didn't_ have sex? What the hell, Naruto. 70,000 on a damned conversation." Kakashi scoffed. Ignoring him, he went on.

"Not just a conversation, it was a private show." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well, that's still a bit much for a private show. You must really like her, Naruto." Her attention turned toward Kakashi searching his stuff. "Get over yourself, Kakashi. It's not the first time Naruto stole from you. What's your deal?" He turned around, his face slightly swollen and his cheeks red from the pain.

"Well, I remember packing 100,000 yen. Naruto asked for 30,000 back in Otafuku Gai for Kami knows what. Between then and Naruto's newfound expenditures, we're flat broke." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry. Naruto's an idiot and all, but I brought about 50,000. Now I took 10,000 last night for the bar, but the rest should cover standard transportation from the port to the hotel. I think the Daimyo will take care of the rest for us, but we'll have to be careful on the food." Sasuke hissed. "What now?" He turned in his chair.

"Well, I borrowed 40,000 last night from your pack." She slapped a hand on her forehead.

"What is up with you bastards and stealing?" She exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the both of them. He threw his hands up in defense.

"I like dancers, too!" He looked to Kakashi. "And if she's fine, I _have_ to tip her." He reasoned. Kakashi smirked.

"Hm, you know it." He replied, nodding.

"What is wrong with you two?" Kakashi raised a finger.

"For starters, he didn't take _my_ money."He said, directing the finger at himself.

"I just thought that Kakashi was the one who carried the money on missions, so…"

"_So,_ we're walking to Yugakure." She sighed, rubbing her hands on her face. "Did you at least catch her name, Naruto?" She stood, figuring a nap would do good to ease her headache.

"Yeah. Miyazaki, Mei." It took every single ounce of her will power not to turn on her heel and kill him right then. Her will power was never that strong anyway, so when she felt her body moving of its own accord, she let it.

"Baka!" She shouted at him, his collar in her hands, as she smacked him repeatedly upside the head. "Baka, Baka, Baka! That's one of the targets, Naruto!" Sasuke's eyes widened.

"What is she doing here?" He asked.

"I don't know, but I do know Naruto's been all over her!" He pouted.

"I haven't been _all_ over her..." Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Damn it. I knew I should've debriefed in Otafuku Gai." She dropped him on the couch and then plopped back down into her seat. With a weary sigh, she laid a hand on her forehead.

"This is too much. But it's not your fault, Naruto. We know you never pay attention during mission detailing with Shishou, so we should've gave you some type of information earlier." Kakashi nodded in reply.

"We'll just have to take care of hair colors and such later." She smiled a bit, scratching her brow.

"It's a minor setback. She just can't find out who we are, or the mission will be a bust before it even starts." Naruto rubbed his neck.

"You did his face, right?" He gestured to Kakashi, looking around Sakura at him. His eyes widened. "Whoa! You're gorgeous!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at this. "You're face is a little on the chubby side, but that's to be expected. You got Sakura's genetics, after all." He flinched as she raised her hand sharply, threatening to slap him.

"Takes a real man to go beyond the boundaries of his sexuality." Sasuke added, pointing at him. Naruto smirked and raised a flexing bicep.

"Would both of you stop it?" She gave up trying to stop the headache from arriving long ago. Having next to no chakra to soothe her throbbing temples, she moved for the bed and lay down in it, ignoring Kakashi's presence. "You guys can leave now. I have a really big headache, and I'm sure if you two stay any longer it'll worsen." Naruto took the hint and stood. Sasuke grabbed the white bags he came in with and placed them on the nightstand beside her before heading to the door.

"You brought me dumplings, Sasuke?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Some lady gave it to me for free. I guess she liked my face." He finished with a smirk. She grabbed the bags and brought them in the covers beside her. She then raised them to her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter either way. It's food and I'm starving. Oh, and Naruto?" He twisted the doorknob of their room and pulled.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" He said, opening it for Sasuke to walk out.

"Next time you want to steal money from Kakashi, at least leave a little bit." He waved in response.

"Or, you know, don't do it at all." Kakashi called as the door shut. He then turned, staring at her from his seat on the floor. "You know…there's going to be a breakfast gathering in about two hours for the important guests. Tsunade-sama bought our tickets under the name Tan, so we were invited." He heard the rustling of the bags under the covers and the tell-tale sound of her munching.

"So?"

"_So,_ if you want to make that money up, you have to work for it." She threw a pillow behind her, aimed for his head.

"Piggish bastard."

* * *

><p>"Let's hurry up and get this over with." Sakura locked the door behind them as Kakashi activated a sound barrier jutsu.<p>

It wasn't as easy as it sounded to work for money. Especially if your name is Haruka Tan, Prostitute-turned-Exotic Dancer.

She couldn't believe the number of men who were horny at breakfast by just the mention of her name. No more than halfway into it, she had about 7 different requests for private shows. It was good money though, so of course she couldn't turn it down. Dirty money was better than no money when you were flat broke.

She got a good hour of rest before Kakashi woke her to get dressed, and the headache pulsing behind her ears still threatened to split her head in two. Not to mention the fatigue that was constantly eating away at her. She was pushing it by using a henge, especially with her nonexistent chakra. But she didn't have time to dye her hair and roots beforehand, and she swore every step she took felt like her last. But they had a lot left to do, and the day is just getting started.

Being a famed dancer in the area, all of the men at the breakfast already assumed that her price was high. So before asking 'how much?' one of the men slapped 500,000 yen into her hand before she was roughly jerked into his lap. But no, that wasn't the highest bidder. She gave 12 dances that morning, so right now; she could buy her own house back home. And houses cost a good amount of money. The four of them could buy a carriage ride with police escorts and the Daimyo himself if they wanted to. But since they already have an appointment with the Daimyo, that wouldn't be necessary.

She felt her hands start to shake and quickly sat herself in one of the salon chairs. If she wasn't cleaned out after having to alter Kakashi's face _and_ seal a new pair of contacts (because God knows that man doesn't listen), then the back to back dances and not even grabbing a bite to eat at the breakfast must've done it for her. All she's had in her system was the few dumplings she could get down before sleep overtook her. Being a medic, she knew that after being poisoned, forgoing food and water was _not_ a good idea. Again, on top of no chakra. With her state right now and with her being a medic, she was basically a walking contradiction. Okay, so she didn't take care of herself in the best of ways since last night. And maybe it was stupid of her to change her natural hair pigment to black and then set up a cerulean hair henge. She had a mission, and one of her targets was currently on board. Fucking up was not an option, and neither was being drained.

"Sakura, you can't keep draining your chakra like this." Ah. Either he caught her shaking, which she was sure was visible right now, or he read her mind. With all of the amazing feats Kakashi has to boot, she wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter. She laid back in the chair, trying to get a few minutes of sleep before having to do Naruto's hair. "You just genetically altered my face for about four hours. A regular surgery takes only two, and you're usually gone after those as well! On top of that, you had to take out an implanted contact, put in two more, and seal them. Convinced?" She waved off Kakashi's lecture, using the other hand to massage her neck. She's a medic. She knows how badly she's taking care of herself right now. The last thing she needs is Kakashi to remind her.

"We had things to do, Kakashi. In a small amount of time. We have an even smaller amount of time now that we know that Mei's here and she knows who Naruto is. If she finds him again, which she _shouldn't _happen," Her eyes shot open as she threw him a look across the room. "They'll make a connection, and even with the different hair color and facial features, she'll recognize him. That's why Naruto can't be the one who has an affair with Mei anymore." Naruto's eyes widened as she then turned and glared at Kakashi. "If you would listen, I wouldn't have to go through the process of taking that one out, and implanting the other pair." He shrugged his shoulders, placing his hands atop her chair.

"Well, at least you thought ahead." He said in relief. She growled.

"Because I _knew_ you wouldn't listen!" She then sighed. She didn't have the momentum, nor the will power for anger. She rubbed a hand across her forehead. "Naruto, you have a longer-lasting chakra span, so in those time periods, you're going to need to conceal those whiskers of yours." He gasped, clapping his hands over his cheeks.

"My whiskers? I can't—these are my _babies!"_ Leave it to Naruto to become attached to a facial feature.

"Your _babies_ are a memorable trait." She stated, reiterating his unwillingness to hide them. "But without them, you're just another plain business man. Sasuke," He looked up at her from behind a manila folder. "Lose the blue hair. And maybe…" She started, her imagination going crazy. "Maybe you could use your Mangekyo to make everyone around you _think_ you have a different eye color—"

"Yeah," He started, nipping her creativity in the bud. "It doesn't work like that." Sighing she turned to Kakashi engrossed in his book. His gaze met hers and the book almost fell to the ground.

He let out an authoritative "No" before she sat up.

"Oh, Kakashi—" He raised a finger and directed it at her.

"I'm not—" He began, his voice high. "I'm _not,"_ His voice more solid. "Cutting my hair. That is _it."_ He finished, searching her salon-crazed eyes.

"Oh you have to do _something_ to it!" He pressed the index finger and middle finger of both of his hands together forming a cross and created a henge.

"I'm a ninja. I can do things like this." She rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"You and I _both_ know that even with your eye covered effectively, you don't have enough chakra to keep that running for three days at a time, without rest." He raised his eyebrows.

"Are you underestimating my staying power, Sakura?" She matched his leveled gaze.

"Not at all. But I do believe you've underestimated my knowledge of you." He turned in disbelief, placing his hands on his hips.

"Is that true?" He said, looking up to the ceiling.

"Kakashi, I've never seen anyone who _wasn't_ a Hatake, who's hair could defy gravity like yours." He moved to face her; objection written all over his face.

"Bull!" Naruto, previously occupied with a magazine, turned to the scene before him.

"Kami. There they go again." He said, shaking his head.

"And you have?" Sakura countered.

"Granddad's hair—"

"—Stood on end and he wasn't even born into the family, I know. But do you know how many Clans marry within themselves? No, he wasn't born into _your_ family per say, but he had your blood and you know it." Confusion was all over his face.

"How'd you…" She closed her eyes again, waving him off.

"It's amazing what the Copy Nin will spill when drunk. But that's beside the point. We have to change your hair somehow so there won't be any semblance between you…you and…Hatashi…" She trailed off, another idea already brewing. Kakashi caught on quickly and decided to stop it in its tracks.

"Sakura, no. _No."_ Her lips formed a pout as her eyes got wider.

"The flat-iron isn't even permanent and I just want it to flip over your eye! You already have the glassy contact portraying a blind eye, along with the scar, it'll help your cover story." He shook his head repeatedly.

"No, I can't. I just—this is heritage." She rolled her eyes.

"And I promise your _heritage_ will go back into its original shape." She pleaded as he sighed. His resolve was slipping, and they both knew it. "And I know you don't want your texture to change, so I'll wash and blow dry it really good every night, because God knows you don't do that already." Her eyes shone as she folded her fingers together. He rolled his eyes.

"Sakura…" He drawled in a warning tone. She perked up. "If my hair loses shape…" She jumped from her seat and engulfed him in a hug.

"Oh, Kakashi, thank-you! I promise, your hair won't get any grayer than it already is." He patted her back awkwardly, replaying what she just said.

"That's not…I didn't say—"

"We have to hurry. I only paid that lady for two hours." Kakashi's eyes narrowed as she started pressing buttons on her chair while kicking off her heels.

Her high, high heels.

Weirdly enough, for a woman who's brash, impulsive, and really hard to understand, the Prostitute/Dancer alias looked damn good on her.

As he heard the bell going off, he reprimanded himself for thinking of this as a forbidden topic, thus making it a forbidden topic… He shook his head softly.

The vindictive woman before him was his teammate, ex-Anbu subordinate, and he would even go as far to say that she was a friend. If, your friends beat you like enemies and kiss like lovers, then yes, he and Sakura were _good_ friends. He believed that this twisted definition they had for 'friend' is probably the leading cause as to why, this morning, Kakashi was on top, and Sakura was on the bottom. Not that he's ever on the bottom…Not that this is a position that they regularly take. The places 'top' and 'bottom' were just the temporary locations of friends as the movie and the booze released itself. Maybe she should've called Naruto in after all to be her roommate for the night. Then, maybe Kakashi wouldn't have found her g-spot. Which was, surprisingly enough, her belly-button.

In a correct reality, that shouldn't have happen _at all._

With that being said, he took his mind off of it. Because with every lingering thought, it made everything they've done feel kind of forbidden. And he was really starting to hate that word…

Either way, with them being teammates (the word 'friend' should be banished from both of their vocabularies), he could very easily admit that she looked good. He hated when dancers were overly slutty, and Sakura made her outfit, actually look…sophisticated. She wore a long skirt that clung to her like a second skin and stopped at her ankles. When she showed it to him, he voiced his opinions about it not being enough. But then she put it on, and it shut him right up. There was a slit that started at her mid-thigh and got wider as it reached her ankles. If that wasn't contradicting enough, she wore a lavender long-sleeved shirt, that of course, was sheer. And it wasn't your average peek-a-boo sheer, the shirt was practically invisible. And if that didn't get her an umpteenth number of men who wanted a dance, she decided to wear a lace bra. Kakashi was a subtle man. He was sure if he wasn't supposed to be her brother, he would_ subtly_ ask her for a private show. And she wouldn't refuse, because he _was_ Hatake Kakashi. Anyway, she wore clothes that Ino wore on a daily basis. But he knew that Sakura didn't go to Ino's house; the clothes were all hers. If that didn't put a new perspective on things, he didn't know what would.

Despite her racy outfit, her hair spoke volumes. She did it in curls, bouncy curls that little girls usually donned to formal parties. They were awfully round and took the form of slinkies that moved when she walked. They framed her face perfectly, but gave height to her forehead. And since Sakura's hair was already long, the curls didn't take that much length. And that's impressive, seeing as though he didn't know many prostitutes without hair extensions… Speaking of hair, Sakura's was currently blue, as it has been all throughout breakfast. It must've been a henge because it was just pink this morning, and they barely had enough time to change when she woke, so when would she have dyed it? If his good eye wasn't mistaken, her roots were black. She had told him something earlier about changing her natural pigment with her chakra. And there she was, teaching Naruto to do a partial-henge, because everyone knows that Naruto's never done a henge, because no one takes him undercover.

With all of that going through his mind, he was lucky to be ready at a moment's notice, because Sakura's knees just gave out.

* * *

><p>It took four hours for Kakashi to come up with one solution: He hated playing nurse. First and foremost, he didn't know how, and secondly, he's supposed to be the one passing out from fatigue. He couldn't really call it playing nurse anyway. He carried her over his shoulder from the salon all the way upstairs and deposited her on the bed in their room. He put water by her bedside and tucked her under the covers, and that…was about it. He also got rid of that henge that Sakura was so desperately clinging to with the last bit of her chakra. It took his Sharingan to do away with it, but that's the job of a nurse, right? And it was the job of a nurse to make sure that the patient was alive and well, and that nothing mysterious happened to the patient while unconscious. So he couldn't help the double take when a long, thin scar that ran from her temple down to her chin appeared on her face. So he was a little happy when she stirred. If she was awake, he didn't have to probe her mind…like nurses do. Probe, that is.<p>

"Kami, how long was I out?" She stretched her limbs above her head.

"4 hours, he replied cheerfully, enjoying her shocked expression.

"Four…?" He nodded.

"But I had it all under control. See?" He pulled on a strand of his newly black hair. "It didn't take long. I told Sasuke and Naruto that you were fine and to read over their profiles in their rooms until you awoke." He reassured. She rubbed her eyes, peering around him.

"But…they're right over there," She pointed to the living area. He chuckled softly.

"Right. Well, they stopped listening to me years ago." He finished. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What happened?" She asked. Kakashi turned to follow her gaze.

"They, uh, argued for a bit on who would get the couch. Being the real men they are, they played rock, paper, scissors." A look of confusion was frozen on her face. "To make a long story short, Sasuke lost and got mad, so he used his Sharingan to put Naruto to sleep." She nodded slowly, digesting the information. Her expression was no less confused.

"That's good and all," She peered around him once again to find Sasuke sprawled across the too-small couch, and Naruto lying spread-eagle, face-down, on the floor. "But I meant with their hair color." Kakashi raised his eyebrows.

"Ah." He watched her silently as she checked her nails. "Sakura?"

"Hm?" She answered.

"We need to talk." Her shoulders slumped as a sigh left her lips. Her nails forgotten, her gaze met his hardened one.

"Kakashi," She breathed. He was never going to run out of things they needed to 'talk' about. From previous experience, she could _almost_ guess where this one was headed. Maybe she accidentally whispered Ren's name in her sleep, or she forgot to eat yesterday. The list was endless. "Is it that serious that we have to talk about it now? Naruto and Sasuke are in the other room, and we're only divided by a half-wall—"

"I was just curious as to why, for the second time today, something appeared, then disappeared, on your body." He questioned with the raising of his eyebrows. Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly shook it off.

"Come on, Kakashi. Really? I just put your lens in, and it's common for patients to see things that aren't there—"

"Don't take me for a fool, Sakura." She placed a hand on her forehead. "You know your games don't work on me." Lying back down on the bed, she sighed.

"Kakashi, please. Not now." He looked to the ceiling in annoyance.

"Then when, Sakura? I understand—"

"No you don't!" She whispered harshly. "You don't. Because if you did, you would've given me the time to handle it. Two weeks ago, I was holed up in enemy territory. Bound. Waiting and welcoming death. Now if you think two weeks is time enough to handle it, you're out of your damned mind." She said, a finger pointed up at him. "I know who I am, Kakashi. And I may not handle things like you want me to, but in the end, it all comes back to me and my decisions." He frowned.

"You know I can't let you do this to yourself." Her face went through a series of emotions before she slammed her fists on the bed.

"Damn it, Kakashi! I'm still having fucking nightmares! I still have qualms about eating food because of the shit they would stuff in it to make me experience pain. Hallucinations. Contorted versions of reality. Is that what you wanted to hear?" His eyes narrowed. She felt the tears behind her eyes but kept his gaze. "I really wish I didn't sleep. My subconscious is cruel to me, Kakashi." She whispered through gritted teeth. "You want my flaws right? You want my imperfections! You want to see me crumble." Her voice broke off as she released the henge. The first tear trailed down her cheek. "Well, fine. Here it is."

"Sakura…" He traced her scar down her face. She put her hand on his.

"This was…this was the night I was captured. When we were split up, you were with Katsumi. There was an excellent Anbu swordsman by the name of Daichi. He slashed through my hood and my Anbu mask with precision to rival, even mine. He knew, Kakashi. I think he knew." She inhaled, moving her hair out of her face. When she exhaled, her eyes opened to find Kakashi's gaze. "Daichi knew that if I escaped, this scar," She started, outlining the closed wound. "This scar would always be a reminder of what happened down there." She scoffed, turning her head away from him as she forced the tears to stop. "Even in death, he mocks me." Shaking her head, she smacked her lips. "He was a medic. I just know he was. The way my skin…he had to be. To cut that deep and accurately…even if I had healed it right then, the scar would be faint, but it would be there. I tried desperately to rid myself of it. But when that failed, I just created this." She lifted the covers and started to unbutton her shirt. If she was going to show him something under it, well, the material was already invisible…

She slipped her right arm from the sleeve and pulled down her bra strap. Once she was out of that, her hand went to her back to unhinge the hooks. She then turned to Kakashi with hardened eyes.

"Look, pervert." He put a hand over his heart. "We won't have a repeat of this morning, so no peeking." He rolled his eyes.

"Accidents happen." He said as he shrugged his shoulders. She scoffed.

"And that's the what…4th time an 'accident' of this caliber has happened?" She countered as he sighed

"I get your point." She made an 'I win' sound before undoing the hooks. She kept her arms tightly folded across her chest as she slowly turned around.

"When did you get that?" He asked, immediately noticing the piece of Naruto on her back.

"Eh, it comes and goes." His eyebrows rose, telling her to explain. "It's for holding chakra, just like Shishou's on her forehead, and yours on your—"

"Yeah, I think I know _that_. Why'd you get it?" She bit her lip.

"It stores chakra to keep the henge going, but after the alcohol, which affects my chakra badly as is, and altering your face, I had to dip into those deposits to keep myself going. That's why the burns appeared this morning."

"The poison and the alcohol messed with your henge." She nodded. "And you're trying to hide them in the first place because…?" She rolled her eyes.

"You know I don't like reminders. After something is done, it's done." Some nights, the pain is so unbearable; she had to cast the whisper of a goddess jutsu on herself. But it was a hell of a lot easier said than done. "If I had to stare at that scar every day, I would definitely go insane." Kakashi eyed her, deciding to keep his comments to himself. "So is this 'talk' over with? Hatake Kakashi has discovered yet another chink in Haruno Sakura's armor." She grumbled as he sighed.

"Those scars aren't flaws, Sakura. Okay, so they're not the most attractive, sure. But who said you were attractive to begin with?" She raised a hand and he shrunk back. "My point is, those reminders are what make you human. Besides that, you're a machine, freshly manufactured from Anbu. And I mean that in the nicest way possible." She was taken aback by his comment.

"Machine? What am I, a computer?" He placed a hand on her shoulder that she shook off.

"Face it. You're always calculating to find the best scenario rather than leaving things up to chance, you never leave anything half-assed, and if I'm not mistaken, you're still in Anbu, correct?" She scrunched her face up.

"I mean, as far as _I_ know." He chuckled to himself and then faced her.

"If that doesn't bleed 'compulsive perfectionist' I don't know what would." Her mouth shot open. His chuckled evolved into a laugh.

"Compulsive perfectionist? I'm not a compulsive perfectionist!" His laugh stopped in its tracks.

"Sakura, why did you join Anbu?" She blinked, searching her mind for an answer.

"Because…because I wanted to become the best. I wanted to lock my emotions away…" She trailed off, knowing her words proved him right.

"And you did a damn good job at hiding your emotions from us," He reasoned as she frowned.

"I'm working on it. You know what they did to us in Anbu. I'm like your third sponsor, meaning you've gone through it more than enough times to know it's hard to go back." She said, throwing him a pointed look. He rolled his eyes.

"Either way, I'm still right. Somehow, during your four months of isolation, you've trained your mind to act like a computer. More so than your scrambled mind did before." She threw up her middle finger. He responded by smiling. "Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but it clashes with your brash and impulsive nature. Being a computer, your ultimate goal is to be some kind of perfect, so your imperfections would have to be 'deleted'. With that being said, what else are you hiding from me?" A small frown was on her face. She hated when he did that. She hated when he dissected her down to a science. When he figured her out. When he was right. He can't just take it? He can't just, understand _why_ she doesn't want these scars adorning her body, a constant reminder of her own hell? Of course, he dreaded the thought of innocent little Sakura letting Anbu change her way of viewing things. The way it changed him.

She brushed her bang aside, letting her arms then wrap around her middle.

"Kakashi, I already told you. I _showed_ you. For what other reason would I have to lie to you?" He took her hand in his and_ almost_ missed the vibrating. It was faint, but he caught it.

"You're a good liar, Sakura-chan." She snatched her hand away, an incredulous look on her face. "Anbu has taught you well, but I'm not stupid." She slammed her fists back down on the bed.

"What do you want from me?" She exclaimed, careful not to be too loud.

"The truth." He replied calmly. The truth that she has so desperately tried to hide from him and everyone else.

"The truth?" She laughed softly. "The truth." She leaned forward and grabbed Kakashi's shoulders. Her red fingernails dug into the fabric of his dress shirt. "Kakashi…sometimes, the sick, twisted part of me wished that I was still captive in that hell hole. That I'd rather be stuck there then have to come back home and cope with…this." She said, referring to her state of mind. Letting go of him, she tipped her head back and ran her hands through her barely noticeable black roots and pink tresses. "The sane part of me…" She paused, looking as if she didn't want to continue her train of thought. She let out a breath. "The sane part of me just wishes it was all over, you know?" His green eyes widened slightly. She didn't mean over as in no more nightmares and no more pain, she meant over as in…she wished she had died back there…

His hand sought for her but she moved out of reach. She swung her legs from under the covers to the floor as her toes felt around for shoes. They touched sandals, regular civilian sandals that slapped the floor when she walked. Slipping into them, she quickly got up and walked towards the door. She brushed away a stray tear. She needed to get out. The air in the room was suffocating her, and Kakashi's judging stare wasn't helping at all.

When she reached the door, she grabbed its knob. She then felt Kakashi's hand locked on her wrist, and she tugged.

He was close.

So close that she could feel his chest on her back, his boot in between her two legs, and the other resting on the door, stopping it from opening any further. He was behind her, his head bent low. She felt the corner of his mouth pressed lightly against her cheek and his hair brushed against her temple. His breaths were slow; they fanned across her face. She inhaled deeply, smelling his scent of pine and faint spices.

In that small space of time, she thought about staying.

She thought about bearing all to him. He was there; he would listen. In that small space of time, the smell that she was so familiar with made her want to stop hiding. To stop hiding from herself.

"Sakura…" He whispered. She felt his lips move. "Stay. Please." He asked. She closed her eyes. Her hand gripped the door knob. He wanted to talk to her, and she knew that if she stayed any longer, she would break. He was offering her everything, but she just… she just couldn't.

"I…can't. I can't. You know that." He slowly released her wrist as she felt his body heat lessen. He watched as her pink hair slowly turned a cerulean blue. She pulled on the door. "I need fresh air."

_I need time._

* * *

><p>Leaning against the railing, she rubbed her nose again.<p>

She had traveled to the east part of the ship; the workers quarters. That way no one would recognize her and her nonstop flow of tears. Even if they did, they couldn't talk to Haruka. She was a Prostitute, but they were working, and the ferry had rules. With that being said, she was left alone for the rest of the day. While the east part of the deck may not be beautiful, she knew that Kakashi would never find her here. But he knows to respect her pleads for space, so she estimated that he gave her 45 minutes to an hour before he started to search.. He must've gotten the memo that she didn't want to be found, because she's had no instances of running into Naruto's clones. If he hadn't interacted with Mei, she's sure she would've spotted at least one by now. But she figured she's been out her long enough. It was getting dark, and she's sure Kakashi's worried half to death.

Kakashi has common sense, though. He knows that they're short on time. He would've long since abandoned trying to look for her, and instead, started debriefing Sasuke and Naruto. They're docking in about a day, and although this isn't the first time she's been Haruka, and she's read the mission scroll more than enough times, she's an important part to its success, so she shouldn't be missing anything.

Meaning, it was time to head back.

But she didn't want to, for reasons she couldn't really identify. Of course, when they awake, Naruto and Sasuke will start to question her whereabouts. How did Kakashi explain that to them? 'She just needed air' would translate into 'I upset her and she had to leave before she started to scream'. But it was her fault. She was slipping.

Kakashi shouldn't know what's bothering her. If she didn't get drunk last night, he would've never found out. About the scars, the henge, and more importantly, the death wish. She'll continue to laugh. She'll continue smile. The problem with that is, it'll only fool Naruto, and even that for a short period of time. Sasuke will find out first, but he won't pester her. Kakashi…

She's taking him for granted, and the thought just doesn't seem to want to leave. He's not that close or inviting with _anyone_, yet she's pushing him away. Soon, he'll actually be gone and then what will she be left with? She rubbed her nose again.

It was time to head back.

Just as she pushed off of the railing, something landed on her shoulder. Her instincts kicking in, she made a move to push it off, but a familiar voice sounded.

"Sakura." She said. _Shishou's summon._ Sakura thought.

"Lady Katsuya, what are you doing here?" She turned and looked down at her, a hand going to pet the slug.

"Tsunade has a message that could not be sent through the pigeons. Where are the others?" Sakura started to walk again. She pulled her hair to cover Katsuya and started for the stairs. It wouldn't be good if she was found talking to a slug.

"They're in the room, I'm going now." She whispered as a worker brushed past her on the stairs. "You have to be quiet now, malady. I'm undercover—"

"No need. I feel Naruto. They're with him." She paused. "I've located them. I'll take us there now." Sakura's eyes widened.

"No, wait—" She whispered harshly before her ears popped and she was lifted off of the ground. It was long before her feet hit their room floor. She waved the smoke away.

Kakashi was turned toward her, chopsticks and noodles halfway to his open mouth. His eyes flickered back to the screen. He was frozen for a second more, and then his chopsticks were dropped back into the bowl and placed on the table with a loud 'clang'. He shuffled for the remote and cut the television off.

"Hey!" Naruto argued. "I was watching th—" Sasuke, seated beside him, clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Lady Katsuya," Kakashi greeted, standing and bowing. He prompted Sasuke and Naruto to do the same by clearing his throat. "You have a message for us?" It's a rare occurrence for a summon of such high standards like Lady Katsuya to interrupt a mission. Whatever Tsunade-sama had to say to them, it was important. With that being said, he didn't want her to find out that he's watching porn when they could be debriefing.

"Yes." She mumbled through Sakura's hair. Sakura pushed it aside, carefully eyeing Kakashi as she placed her on the table and was seated. He moved closer, but at a respectable distance. "Tsunade has told me to inform you that your mission is being postponed." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Postponed again? Why?" He asked as Katsuya moved to the edge of the table, leaving behind a trail of slime.

"Come, sit." Kakashi was the first to be seated. He faced Sakura, while Sasuke and Naruto filled up either side of her. "You're mission is being postponed because your Shinobi careers are being threatened as we speak." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, leaning forward.

"What?" She breathed.

"The council has used your recent treason as a means to appeal to the Daimyo. You've also created a rift between Fire and Grass ever since that first escort mission. The four of you have killed more than 80 of their men, and then two of the Kusakage's personal advisors at the exchange. On top of that, you _didn't_ retrieve the Peace Treaty." Sakura sighed and slumped in her chair.

"We've already been punished. Three months of missions with no pay, no matter the rank. And I've been taken off of the Captain position in Anbu." Kakashi stated.

"That was before you failed to retrieve the Peace Treaty." He sighed, running a hand through his black hair.

"So what can we do to save ourselves?" Sasuke asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"The motives of the four of you have been questioned. To continue on with this mission as Shinobi of Fire Country, you must first be interrogated by Anbu specialists." Sakura sat up straight.

"That means…" She trailed off.

"We'll be going back to Konoha." Naruto finished, bewilderment on his face.

"No. You'll be going to an island a little ways off from your mission destination. Kakashi will lead you from there." He nodded.

"That means will be porting tonight," He stated.

"Listen carefully, because next will be a personal message from Tsunade." Katsuya started. She paused as they moved in to listen. "Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi. You four will be interrogated by Anbu, but I'm sure it won't be anything you guys can't handle." It was a voice recording of Tsunade. "But choose your words wisely and think before you speak. Anything and everything you say or _don't_ say will be recorded and used to calculate your motives, and whether or not you four are fit to be ninja, or are a danger to Fire Country, as well as the Ninja world." Naruto's eyes widened. "Answer truthfully but carefully; one wrong sentence can hurt you and me both." The recording stopped as Sakura swallowed. "Anbu will need to see this." Katsuya stated as a scroll appeared in a puff of smoke. "I wish you all the best, and I do hope that you handle this dire situation with the utmost importance." She finished, leaving with a pop and a little cloud of smoke. Sakura stared at the spot where her form previously sat.

"How could…" She whispered in disbelief. "How could the council do this?" Kakashi exhaled, gripping the table in front of them.

"It's just politics, Sakura. You know how they're favored by the Daimyo. And of course, Tsunade has no real power over them, solely because of that fact. It's one of the main reasons why Root has been running right under her nose. If it wasn't for us trying to escape that first night, she would've never had known. Because of _that,_ she's put her Anbu out to stay on top of them. To watch them watching us." He looked to the ceiling and fingered the stubble growing on his chin. "Grass pays us for weapons and material used for Shinobi clothing, and ever since that escort mission, they've found another country to supply them for less money. Because of the skirmishes happening, there have been more missions. More missions means more money, and since the bulk of these missions are going to Anbu…well, that's a lot of money going out and not coming in. Anbu get paid considerably more than jonin. Grass's money would usually balance that out. And it was good money too, but now it's gone." Kakashi finished. Sakura placed a hand on her forehead. Another headache was threatening to split her head in two. That escort mission would haunt them for the rest of their life, or Shinobi career, however long they had left in that.

Naruto grabbed his profile from the floor and tucked it under his arm. Sasuke raised himself from his seat and started for the door.

"I guess we'd better go and pack since we're leaving tonight." Naruto said with a sigh.

"Make sure you guys are ready to go within the hour." Kakashi added as Sasuke pulled on the door. Sakura found herself in their sleeping area, arranging her pack and things from the closet.

"I'll see you on the deck." Naruto said following Sasuke out of the door. He paused and hummed, as if having something to say. She turned her body to face him; and sudden movement of her head would only intensify the pain. "Take care of yourself, Haruno." He finished finally, walking out and shutting the door behind him. She replied with a nod, and the room was filled with silence.

The question was, who's going to break it first?

Kakashi sighed, pulling up a loose floorboard and gathered their stashed weapons. He did this almost mechanically; his mind elsewhere.

What would he say to her? He's sorry that he wants to get her through this? She has to know that he's not just doing it for his health. Kakashi has been captured numerous times in the past. Okay, so he doesn't have the estrogen in his body to feel the emotions she feels because of her captivity. He can relate to her. There's not that many people living he can say that to. It's that fact alone that has him trying to help her move on. She can't be like him, or the others. He won't let her. But it hasn't been successful so far. Now with Tsunade's recent message and their mission on hold, those 'We need to talk' insinuations will be given the cold shoulder. She'll be ignoring him now more than ever.

Another one of Kakashi's plans that went south.

So when she came up behind him, just as he turned around, he couldn't help but be a little surprised when she hugged him. She buried her face in his shirt as her arms closed around his neck. Familiar fingers dug into his hair. The small gesture reassured him. He knew that, without conversation, they were alright again.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled into his chest. "I just need more time." She finished in a whisper. He returned her hug, squeezing her around her middle. And although he said no words, she knew this small gesture meant that he would give it to her.

* * *

><p>"This is so—" Naruto started, fishing for words.<p>

"Cool?" Sakura offered, readjusting the pack on her shoulders.

"No…" He said. "That's not the word I was looking for."

"Heavy?" Kakashi added as he pulled along three large luggage bags. Naruto started to snap his fingers repeatedly.

"Nah, that's not it either." Sakura merely rolled her eyes, not bothering to help the struggling ninja behind her.

"I warned you, you shouldn't have made that bet. I thought you would've known by now that when it comes to Naruto's tactics, I'm a genius." She stated, folding her arms over her chest in triumph. Kakashi struggled to pull one of the bags over a rock.

"Yeah, well, I didn't know that still rang true in terms of pick-up tactics." He grumbled, finally getting the bag over the rock, only to have it fall and bust open. He sighed as she held back a laugh.

"Trust me. I heard them _all_ before." She said, reminiscing. "Try to break it down into fewer words, Naruto. You'll get it." He pursed his lips as Sasuke tightened the hood over his head. He began to look around.

"How about, 'not what you expected'." Sasuke drawled. Naruto snapped his fingers and pointed at the Uchiha.

"That's it!" He exclaimed. Then he frowned. "Where are all of the booby-traps and lasers?" Naruto said with a pout.

"Well for starters," Kakashi began, closing the bag after all of its contents were put back. "This isn't a spy movie."

"Don't sit there!" Sakura shouted with her palms raised. Naruto froze, about to rest himself atop a large rock. "It's booby-trapped." She finished with a wink. Naruto rolled his eyes and continued to sit. "Or is it?" He groaned, figuring it wasn't worth the risk, and lay spread-eagle on the ground.

"This is so stupid." The 22-year-old complained. "Our whole mission gets thrown off of schedule. You were supposed to have an impromptu show tomorrow evening, and who knows how long this stupid interrogation will last." Sakura sighed, plopping herself down on the "booby-trapped" rock. Naruto glared at her.

"If we really wanted to, Naruto, we could forget this whole interrogation thing and go back to our mission." He shot up, a smile on his face.

"Really? That's good. Maybe we could—"

"Yeah, and while we're at it, why don't we cuff our hands and knot a noose?" Sasuke added with cheerful sarcasm. "Don't feed into him like that, Sakura." Naruto huffed sigh, all remnants of the false hope were gone.

"So what, we just sit here until Anbu whisks us away?" Kakashi opened his mouth, but Naruto cut him off. "If you say we have to walk in one more direction, I swear I'll kill myself." What a threat, knowing that if Naruto was dead, the Kyuubi would run loose.

"Don't be stupid. We have two members of Anbu with us. I know they have other information that we don't have." Sakura faced the water as Kakashi sat down on the grass.

"No, not information. Just protocol." She said, barely above a whisper. She always hated this part. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed as his face scrunched up in thought.

"What do you mean protocol? Do we have to sign in or something? I don't get it." He walked within 5 inches of the rock she was seated on. She exhaled slowly and folded her fingers together in her lap. She didn't get a chance to change. With all of the packing that she had to do, it just wasn't a big priority. Her chakra levels haven't fully recovered from its exertion, so with Kakashi's help, she used his chakra to change her natural pigment to black, and then he dyed her hair cerulean blue. Anbu probably wouldn't appreciate her attire, but it's not her fault that her mission was interrupted.

Kakashi watched with hooded eyes as Sakura kicked off her sandals and her feet plunged into the soft earth. She closed her eyes, her hands now gripping her skirt.

"They're here…I feel them." She whispered this time.

"What?" Naruto breathed. "Who?" He got into a fighting stance, hands poised and ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"We don't have much time." She spoke under her breath in hushed whispers. "Naruto this next part is really important, so please, listen closely." Sasuke moved in closer as well. "We're going to be taken." Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Taken as in...escorted?" He offered, hoping what he said was true. Sakura shook her head softly.

"Taken as in captured." He stepped back, his face going through a series of emotions.

"No. Sakura, no." She sighed.

"Naruto, don't do this." He was angry now, his hands in fists and his mouth turned up in a snarl.

"Then we'll just have to fight them and force them to take us to the base." She ran a hand through her hair.

"They have rules, Naruto! Just like we do." He pointed a finger at her.

"You know—" He paused, running his hand down his face. "You _know,_ Sakura." She looked away from him and towards the water. The last remnants of the day were slowly fading. So was their time.

"We're intruding on they're land. From the minute we walked a mile from the port, they were watching us. Then we surrounded their forests, so they'll be fighting to kill." She looked down at Kakashi arranging their things. "Kakashi, please place our mission scroll near the top of the largest bag. That way they won't have to look far." Naruto turned to look at the forest. She was sure he could feel them surrounding them too.

"You two know the way. You can—"

"Naruto, you know that we _can't." _Her eyes showed the sympathy she felt for him. And it was little things like this that reminded her of the boy that he used to be. The boy who spent most of his time running and hiding from vicious men trying to capture him. Luckily, he's never been captured, but there has been many a time when he's gotten close. It was the little things like this that showed everyone and especially her, that Naruto wasn't just some fighting machine. He got scared. His first instinct in this situation would be to fight, which would have them arrested and contained for a minimum of a week for being Konoha Shinobi, and then they would still have to be interrogated. It wouldn't be enough time for them to stop the wedding. The mission would be a failure. "It's going to be alright, Naruto. They won't hurt us." She lied. "They're on our side." She felt them move in closer, and she knew everyone else did as well. What made this situation worse was that Naruto hated being powerless. He hated just allowing things to happen. But she knew he was going to have to make do because they had no other choice. Naruto finally sat on the rock with his back to her back. He grabbed her hand tightly in his. "They're here." She whispered, loud enough so that only he could here.

"They're on our side…protocol…" Naruto chanted quietly to himself as she felt him breathing deeply. They were only a few feet from the beginning of the woods.

She heard Sasuke's form fall to the ground and a grunt Kakashi let out from a blow. She couldn't see them, no. But she knew they were around her. She squeezed Naruto's hand.

"You'll be alright."

And she was struck behind the neck.

* * *

><p><em>I don't think sorry can begin to express how I feel. I know it's been so long, but I didn't know how this chapter would finish, and then I had to totally revamp it…It's been a lot for me too. I had to basically stop writing it entirely because the basketball season picked up, and then dance, and then—I'm telling you guys my life story. But I love you and thank you for the support you've given that kept me going on! School's almost over, so the next chapter should be up sooner than the last. With that being said, I hope you enjoyed Clash Chpt 15! Don't forget to review!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	16. Reminiscence

**Reminiscence**

* * *

><p>She pressed a hand on her wound to stifle the blood as she limped back to their hiding place. She couldn't waste her chakra on healing the wound. The gash to her stomach wasn't as small as she originally thought, but it wasn't critical. It was just, as a medic, she knew that with the rate of the blood gushing out of her body, she would die in less than two hours. With this in mind, she pressed harder, despite the pain. The fight wasn't over until Kakashi said it was, and he was currently nowhere to be found. He wasn't in the best shape when he jumped off 10 minutes ago to handle the oncoming ninja, but who was she to judge? She wasn't in a place to talk; because she's sure she was as banged up as he was before she took care of those two mercenaries…if not more. Upon reaching what was their dugout under an array of bushes, she stumbled and tripped, and fell right into it.<p>

"Ouch…" She groaned as she rolled over, trying to get into a position where she wouldn't be seen.

How long would Kakashi take?

He said it seemed like a lot of them coming, and it's been a little too long. He said he'd be back in 12 minutes, and it's been 14. She granted him the extra minute considering his tendency to make people wait. But on a mission like this…their _last_ mission…he wouldn't be _that_ late. She was worried about him coming back, but in their situation, she didn't dare consider the alternative.

With a hand still pressed against her wound, she prepared herself to look for him.

"Damn it." She heard a raspy curse and a loud 'thud' before she saw a figure. It was Kakashi. He lay spread-eagle in their dugout. She watched his chest rise and fall rapidly before he snatched the Anbu mask off of his face. He wouldn't dare pull down the other one…It was then that she noticed the blood seeping into his hair and running down his face from a gash on his forehead. He squinted at the dirt on her clothing.

"How'd you get down here?" He asked, almost sarcastically.

"Oh you know," She whispered, calculating his wound and how dangerous that blood flow looked. "Express route." He chuckled, hissing almost immediately, indicating that he had a chest wound as well. "How many?" He closed his eyes.

"How long was I gone again?" Her eyes widened slightly.

"14…" He pointed.

"That number." She had the urge to use the rest of her chakra to heal him because she knew he couldn't fight in the condition he was in, battered and bloody. And she had a sneaking suspicion that there were more coming. It was confirmed by his next words. "Last wave." The forces the mercenaries came with were usually 10-15 men. She could either die now or die trying. Both options meant she failed, and she was so close to home.

She nodded, making a move to climb out. He reached up and latched onto her wrist, but his hand immediately fell. It got her attention. It told her that if he couldn't hold onto her wrist, he most definitely couldn't grasp his katana, or even his kunai.

"Fight alongside me?" He breathed. She heard how much of a struggle it was for him to talk. She bit her lip.

"What type of mess did you drag your ass into this time?" She blurted out, breathing hard as realization dawned on her. He chuckled softly.

"I uh…" He started taking harsh breaths. "Talked about one bastard's mother. That's how I got a hint to the last wave." His chuckle involved into a laugh, despite the pain in his chest. She bit down on her lip harder and shook her head.

"How?" She questioned, taking an inventory on her remaining weapons.

"He said 'My Brother and the rest of them are going to come and finish you off, you piece of shit!' He got kind of angry, giving me this ugly gash on my brow. Then he spit in my eye. Of course he had blood in his mouth. Typical." He managed to squeeze sarcasm out along with his harsh breaths. She frowned at how cheerful he was about this.

"You'll get an infection, dumbass." She whispered as he exhaled shakily.

"Yeah, well, help me up, would you?" He breathed. "I'm no good to the mission like this." He extended his hand, and she noticed the slight twinge of pain it brought him after it reached a certain height. The dried blood on his arm could only be his.

"Right," She started, her lip quivering. "And which do you volunteer to do first? Pass out or die?" His arm dropped.

"Both sound pleasing, but I'd rather fight." He tried to sit up of his own accord, but then he froze in pain. She was at his side, moving him into an upright position against the makeshift wall of their dugout.

She felt the reality of it all. They were in Hoshigakure fighting for their lives, and here Kakashi was, _dying_ right in front of her. She didn't even have a choice whether or not to heal Kakashi first. The mission was priority, and depending on the span of time she'll take to finish off the last wave, Kakashi will either be dead, or comatose from blood loss. It was all on her now, her Partner/Captain was crippled and unable to carry out the rest of the mission. Lucky her.

"Kakashi," She called to him as she stood, putting her weapons back in her pouches and strapped her katana to her back. His breaths were ragged as he tried to remain conscious, and his eyelids fluttered as they were desperately trying to stay open.

"Yes?" She sighed and jumped out of the dugout.

"Please stay alive."

* * *

><p>Naruto hugged her tightly, soothing her, as her quivering slowed. She shook her head against his chest.<p>

"Please, I'm okay. It…It wasn't a nightmare, Naruto." She whispered, her eyes staring past him at the gray stone wall. "It's this place. It's bringing back too many memories for me." She closed her eyes as her hands fisted in his shirt. "When I came back from Anbu, even then I was dreamless. They taught us that even dreams were dangerous, and anyone could get inside of them. Dreams revealed Intel, and Intel could destroy you and your Village. So they suppressed them. When I was captured, I had only nightmares. Rescued, nightmares. And then I've had this dream…" Naruto looked down at her cerulean hair.

"Sakura, if it wasn't a nightmare…" She pushed herself off of him.

"You don't get it. That dream was one of the memories I held close to my heart. One of the ones Anbu didn't lock away for secretion." Her eyes snapped open. "And for that reason, they scrambled it the most." He searched her eyes.

"What was it?" She sighed heavily, slumping back against the wall of their bunk.

"It was of Kakashi and I. Our last mission at the Base. It's completion finally ranked me as Anbu, and if it was failed…I failed."

_**-Flashback-**_

_Her face hit the hard dirt ground, and despite the pain she was in, she knew she was under attack. She quickly got up and into a fighting stance. _

"_I suppose your partner's dead, Kunoichi of the Leaf?" She heard a voice but saw no figures. She felt them, though, and they were all around her. 20 she guessed. If she wanted to win this battle, she would have to draw them all out, and away from Kakashi for that matter. So she jumped, her hands caught on to the nearest branch and swung her to the next one. _

'_Just a few hundred yards' She thought as the invisible mercenaries materialized some fifteen feet behind her. _

"_Where are you going Kunoichi? Because you surely won't get far with that wound." The same voice said. She stopped abruptly and jumped to a higher branch. Taking a head count, she found that all twenty of them were on her tail. It wouldn't do to have some leak out in pursuit of her half-dead partner. Besides, she can only use this jutsu once. After that…well, if they're not dead then she was. _

_She grabbed 4 kunai from her hoister, and as she jumped, threw them in two parallel directions on either side of her. She held the remaining two in her mouth as her fingers formed a seal, preparing for a jutsu. The mercenaries were gaining on her, kunai and shuriken whizzing past her head. They must've known those kunai weren't aimed for them…She hurriedly threw the last two kunai into the trees, and then jumped behind it onto a higher branch to avoid getting caught in her own jutsu. It was a simple barrier. She didn't have much chakra for something extravagant, so she had to move quickly because the slightest provocation could shatter it. _

"_You think this will hold us?" The mercenary said. He was obviously their leader. She started moving her fingers through 28 hand seals. _

"_No," She shouted down to them, finishing her hand seals with her arms outstretched. The earth began to rise below them. "But I hope this will." She finished under her breath. They started to throw an array of weapons at the barrier frantically. By the time it shattered, it was too late. As Sakura's hands rose higher, the dirt and grass from all around encased their bodies. They were suffocating, and fast. She could tell by the panicked yells from inside of the Earth coffins. It was no use; they would only die quicker by releasing what little oxygen they had left in their body. As the dirt covered them they floated along with other debris pulled from the ground. It spun slowly around them. _

"_Earth Prison." She whispered. Her hands turned to fists and the coffins bust, mud sprayed everywhere. All the debris froze then dropped, back to the earth from which it came. The ground in upheaval and trees were thrashed everywhere. The mud was stained with their blood, and it covered her Anbu mask. Those things were almost always small miracles. She hated blood on her face. _

_She did a quick burying jutsu to cover the blood-stained ground and then hurried back to their hiding place. The new blood seeped out of her almost closed wound from chakra exertion. This only told her she didn't have much time. The familiar arrangements of bushes in sight told her that they were almost done. She pulled off her Anbu mask as she jumped into their dugout. _

_She froze. _

_Kakashi's lone eye stared blankly, one arm rested across his thigh, the other on his chest. An unrecognizable sound came from her throat as she stumbled back, her hand over her mouth. _

_This caused the eye to blink, and then look in her direction. Her hand moved to her forehead. _

"_I'm sorry, did I scare you? You were gone for more than ten minutes." She slowed her breathing. "I thought to just play dead in case you didn't make it back. In case I lasted long enough for the allotted mission time to be through and for Anbu to come looking for us." She moved to kneel beside him._

"_Don't talk like that." She closed her eyes and shook her head softly. It was smart, but he could've told her. Saved her the near heart-attack. "All of the mercenaries are taken care of." His eyes narrowed. _

"_You shouldn't have used that jutsu. Even in my state I can feel how low your chakra levels have gotten." She sighed and started digging through his vest pockets. _

"_You know that was my only option." She started opening and closing flaps. "My fists would've surely gotten me killed, you weren't with me to do our combination jutsu, and I already don't have many up my sleeve in the first place."She found what she was looking for and raised it in the dim light. "Here it is. I swear they hide these things so well they make it impossible for even the Captain to find it." He scoffed. "What?" _

"_That's because it's almost illegal for us to look for it." She sighed and used her chakra to open the scroll. _

"_Kakashi…" She said exasperatedly. She used her kunai to cut her thumb and began to write on her scroll. Of course, that wasn't one of the best ideas while she was already losing a great deal of blood. And of course, the Anbu Base __**would**__ require operatives to sign the scroll in blood to ensure it wasn't taken by enemy hands._

_Does ink not exist to them?_

'_I guess not' She answered for herself as she felt the blood drip down her hand. _

"_Not this again. You'll get us executed talking like that." He rolled his eyes. _

"_But you know it's true." Her lack of response meant she knew he was right. "Before the ceremony, you'll have to be interrogated for using it, and if that's not enough…well, consequences are a bitch." She contemplated smacking him, but his face was unusually pale right now. She decided against it. _

"_Can you keep your conspiracy theories at bay, just for once? Just for my last mission?" He chuckled softly. _

"_You do remember the last guy who used it, right?" She sighed. Apparently he lost his hearing along with his sense and ability to move. But she did remember him; he was taken into custody almost immediately after teleporting. All Anbu issued transportation scrolls lead to either Konoha or Anbu HQ on the base. That all depends on what scrolls your captain receives for that particular mission. Unluckily, the Anbu operative got a scroll for HQ. He apparently used the scroll in fear after his captain was beheaded in front of him. Not completing his mission was reason enough for his dismissal from Anbu. But in their case, she supposed Anbu would have to be lenient. Kakashi was practically dying from blood loss, the deep gash across her stomach didn't make her life look too promising, __**and**__ their mission was complete. What could they possibly get in trouble for? _

_Oh right. Using the scroll in the __**first**__ place. _

"_You and your stupid hunches." She said with a sigh, slumping back on her knees._

"_They're not hunches! I know you've questioned the soundness of this organization at least once, Sakura." She shook her head and raised both of her hands. _

"_I surrender, Kakashi. Fine. But I'm done playing these right and wrong games. Time's up." She's ready to go back. To go __**home.**__ She missed Naruto and Ino, even her Shishou. But going back meant encountering Sasuke, and…_

_Two long years and she's still not fully over it. _

"_You ready?" She asked him in a small voice, her previous thoughts still looming in her head. _

"_As ready as I'll ever be. Let's get you that Anbu certification." She smiled as he looked to the sky. "Say, If I __**am**__ right, and we do get dismissed from Anbu, I get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a sweet 'I told you so' to top it." She frowned, he was ever the pessimist. But then she lit up, pressing her fingers together. _

"_And if we don't, you pack my clothes for home, and I get well-earned 'I told you so's' all the way there." She released her chakra. "Kai!" He chuckled softly as they began to feel weightless. _

"_It's a bet."_

* * *

><p>"What happened in there, Sakura?" At the sight of her widened eyes he rephrased his answer. "I mean back in Anbu." She closed her eyes and smiled. Sweet memories passed behind her eyelids for a change.<p>

"I've…I've never felt so happy about doing something in my life. " She pressed two fingers to her lips. "I would never have dreamed about fighting alongside Kakashi before. _Actually_ fighting with him. Not running for help while you guys fight to protect me. And that…that felt damn good, Naruto." He smiled at her; her usual hardened facial expression changing. "Yeah, me and Sasuke broke up, but that was change for the better. We're closer now than ever before, I'm stronger than I could've imagined, and…" She paused, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. "And Kakashi and I…" Naruto pursed his lips.

"You know, I don't get it." She was snapped out of her thoughts by his spoken ones.

"What?" She asked, urging him to continue as he narrowed his eyes.

"When you two came back, you were inseparable. You trained together, ate together, even got piss drunk together. It was really hard for me to dissect what changed." She looked upward at the memory of it all. "You guys were kissing each other, sleeping with each other—hopefully not in the literal sense—and I was jealous at first. I mean with how your proximity has grown." Her eyebrows furrowed again as she looked down, examining her legs through the slit in her skirt.

"Why?" He hummed.

"Remember back when we were kids and we finally managed to get Sensei's mask off?" She rolled her eyes and snorted at the thought of it.

"Yeah, only for there to be another mask under that one." He nodded.

"But that's what I'm getting at, Sakura. I don't know the extent of your closeness. But it does look like you've managed to get that second mask off; regardless of how many more are under it." Her attention turned to him and she searched his eyes. "And Kakashi-sensei…he's managed to give you something that none of us could ever give you. That _I_ couldn't give you." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. For Naruto to bring how much she's been neglecting the rest of her friends to light, it…it hurt. She knew that since they came back, their closeness was evident to everyone. She knew that she spent more time with Kakashi. Now she's hearing that Naruto's jealous. It shouldn't have affected her like it did, but she knew that Naruto didn't _get_ jealous.

"And what's that?"

"He gave you Anbu." She placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. "He gave you strength that no amount of my words of encouragement could bring to you; he gave you renewed confidence, and even friendship. Those things took me a little over 10 years to accomplish, but you let Kakashi in after two." Her eyes snapped open as she took offense.

"Naruto!" She said taken aback by his comment. "You know—"

"Yes, Sakura, I do know. Sometimes that's just not enough. But I also understand. I know I can't always be your number one, Sakura. And as time passes, the person who does hold that spot in your heart will continue to change. You may not agree, but that person right now is Kakashi." She rubbed a hand over her forehead as the headache that never seemed to be far away returned.

"Naruto, I don't know where you're going with this." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Why are you pushing him away? Why won't you let him help you? Of course you know that Kakashi never goes out of his way to help anyone unless he absolutely has to. He didn't have to sponsor you for Anbu, Sakura. I need you to keep that in mind. He didn't have to let you in." Her eyebrows lowered as frustration boiled up inside of her.

"I'm fine." She bit out. He shook his head.

"Your blood-curdling screams don't say so." He retorted. She slammed her fists down on the wooden part of the bed.

"Why do you care?" She exclaimed. "This is _none_ of your business!" She realized how hurtful her words were after they left her mouth. She could tell by the expression on Naruto's face that left a bad taste in her mouth. It lasted longer than expected. Then it hardened. Her heart clenched.

"I brushed it off before thinking it was something little. I'd leave it to Kakashi. I mean, you seem to like him more nowadays, right?" He said, his voice laced with false cheer and hurt. The clench on her heart made it harder to breath now. "But as time went on, I thought about the times when you told me everything, and I thought you confiding in me would make your burden easier to bear." He chuckled. "This is me. I'm here, we're alone. I'm waiting for you to confide in me, but…" He paused. He stared into her eyes prompting her to speak. To say anything. The pause was eternal and his eyes forced her to look away. "No words come out. Right." She shook her head fervently and reached for his hand. He flinched away.

"No, it's not that, Naruto I—"  
>"I seem to remember you going to Kakashi's and Sasuke's after the incident at the nightclub. My house is closest to yours, <em>and the hospital, <em>but I guess you must've passed it or something. I mean, you couldn't have seen my bright red house illuminated by the porch lights." She gripped her fists in their bed covers.

"Naruto, I don't want to sit here and argue with you."

"Then don't. Just listen." She heard the restraint in his voice.

"You went back to the man who left you for almost a year because of his student's defection, and the man who left you on a quest for power. But the one who was there through it all, the one who wanted to get stronger for _you,_ the one whose purpose was to uphold his promise for _you, _gets ignored. Feels like I'm 13 all over again." Her eyes widened. "So I am jealous. I think I have every right to be." He finished, turning away from her on the bed. She didn't expect Naruto to react like this, and that was the problem. She didn't expect anything out of Naruto. She didn't expect him to eventually catch on, either. But the odds were clearly against her. She originally thought she would be roomed with Kakashi, figuring that since they were both Anbu operatives. But then again, the Anbu retrieving squad didn't know why they were in the area in the first place. If they were running away, putting two Anbu operatives together spelled disaster. But rooming Naruto and Sasuke together was even worse. Her next thought was Sasuke. He wouldn't question her screams because he knows all about them. But Naruto…she never told him about how she was suffering. He knew she just came back, and believed she was coping. And like he said. He was the only who was always by her side, yet she never came to him.

Ironic.

She felt a lump form in her throat. Naruto felt disowned. He felt abandoned. He had every right to.

She grabbed for his arm again, only to produce the same results. The chakra resistors were pretty tight on her small wrists, but that didn't stop her from latching onto his arm, this time with more force.

"Sakura—" He started, annoyed.

"No. Now it's time for you to listen." Once she got his attention she sighed, releasing his arm and rubbing a hand over her forehead. "I know you know what it's like, Naruto. You're an insomniac yourself. Before, when war was brewing and the Akatsuki were on your tail, I know of the nightmares you've had of being captured. I shared them with you. It's just…" She looked flustered, unable to place her words. "Sasuke and Kakashi are so broken. They've felt so much pain and have had to endure so much…I thought that if I talked to them, they would understand. They wouldn't say anything because my screams sounded familiar to them—"

"What are you sheltering me for? I'm not a child anymore!" She flinched as he grabbed at his scalp. "The war's been over for about 7 years now. I'm ignorant at times, and I know I'm not the brightest but damn it, I'm not stupid, Sakura! I'm 22, and I know you enough to tell when you're hiding something from me." He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "So you went around all this time thinking I was just blissfully ignorant? Because right now it seems to me that I just wasn't important enough to be a confident. How different can they be from me? Is it because they knew where they came from?" She shook her head, distraught. A lump formed in her throat as the first tear fell.

"Naruto—"

"Stop!" She squeezed her eyes shut.

"No, you stop!" She ran her hands through her hair, her face flustered and pink. She exhaled a shaky breath. "It's so _hard._ For three months they created my nightmares. When I woke up, I lived them. You all were dead to me. For a time, I thought they actually killed you. I was so drugged and beaten and, and _deprived_. They created my own hell back there, and for a while, it became normal to live in it. Then my teammates come to rescue me, and I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't be Sakura because it's just too damn _hard._ And I'm trying so hard to be the person that you guys remember me to be, but she's lost! She's gone! I'm hurting so much because of the memories etched into my subconscious. The fear they've instilled into my very being prevents me from peacefully sleeping. The one time I _do_ have a dream, I wake up screaming because it's so damn unfamiliar." She closed her eyes, softly rapping her fist to her forehead. "I want to forget so much, Naruto. But I can't. There's only way out, and…"

"Then talk to me! I'm here, Sakura. I'm right here, for _you._ But I'm the only one being pushed away!" He shouted.

"They know!" She retorted. Tears ready to fall from her eyelids. "They know what it feels like to go off the deep end. When Sasuke's family was murdered he went crazy. Kakashi lost everyone and he went sadistic. They—"

"So what, suddenly their pain can compare to being alone all your life?! I've never had someone there for me! I don't even know what it feels like to have a _mother. _I've had to struggle for everything I have right now. Even you! I—!" He stopped his rambling as tears fell from his eyes. Hers were closed. "I need you, Sakura. And I need to know you're okay. I just…I just need to know you're okay." He finished softly, the care and concern showed through his face. She slowly reached up and grabbed his hands and squeezed. Her body shook as her feelings escaped her. She cried for the pain of the boy in front of her. She cried for her own ignorance and stupidity, for her neglect.

"Naruto-kun," She said between sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry. Please just…" She brought his hands to her chest. "Please just forgive me…" She laid her nose against his knuckles. "I hate to see you so troubled…you're still that little boy who cries for everyone's pain except for his own. Don't…please don't cry for me, Naruto. I'll break. Your happiness is one of the last shreds of sanity I'm clinging to. I've caused a lot of people a lot of pain, but if I do this to you…" She exhaled a slow shaky breath. "Stay ignorant, if only for me. But please, d-don't take my burden…not again, N-Naruto-kun, I b-beg you…" He felt the tears run down his hands and arms and he pulled her closer. She laid her head on his chest and sobbed quietly as Naruto rested his chin into her hair, kissing her head.

"Thank-you, Sakura-chan."

* * *

><p>"Ouch," Sakura flinched, looking down at her wrists. She noticed Naruto doing the same. She then tilted her head upwards in understanding.<p>

"What the…" She felt the liquid enter through her veins.

"Don't worry, Naruto. It's a sedative." She finished as the several small needles retracted back into her chakra restraints. Looking back to him, she saw confusion still evident on his face.

"Sedatives—"

"Will not put you to sleep. It'll calm your nerves and lower the sensitivity of your senses, so you're less alert." He frowned.

"Well we're already bound and locked up, what do we need sedatives for?" He said in exasperation. Sakura bit her lip.

"It's interrogation time."

* * *

><p>Her head lolled back and forth as her blurry vision came into focus. Her arms had long since lost the feeling in them, along with a sick feeling in her stomach for being upside down for so long. The blood had already rushed to her head, and that didn't help her dizzy feeling <em>at all.<em> Despite all of this, her vision continued to focus. She immediately noticed that they took her contacts, upsetting her because they were expensive. Feeling a hand on her ass didn't help her mood, or the fact that she now regretted not putting her heels back on. She was going to kick this Anbu Operative regardless, but a heel would've made her feel better…

"Damn it!" This rookie dumbass should know that sedatives only slow down a Shinobi's senses, not put them to sleep. Apparently, as an escort, he wasn't privy to information about the detainees. He wasn't aware that Sakura was a medic, and her senses slowing down are less likely. Her body was trained to fight mild sedatives and poison on its own. She should kick him again, just because.

"What the—" A hand caught her foot midair.

"Sakura," Kakashi drawled. "Remember that everything we do is being taken into account." He whispered quickly. "Keep your personal feelings to yourself." He let her foot go. She silently wondered how he could perform so alertly when he had sedatives in his body. Then she remembered how long Kakashi was a ninja, and _then_ she remembered the poison, the nutrient deprivation, and the chakra depletion that she just put her body through. No wonder he was better off than she was. Come to think of it, Naruto and Sasuke seemed pretty calm, but they weren't as out of it as she was. She had to be carried over someone's shoulder for goodness sake! She sighed. She was getting rusty.

They led them to a room and sat them in the suspicious looking chairs against the wall after removing their chakra restraints. More chains latched onto her wrists and she threw her head back as bigger needles inserted themselves into her skin.

"Ugh, they _have_ to find a better way to do this." She was beginning to regain her senses.

"Sakura," Kakashi asked from the seat beside her. She turned towards him with her head still laid against her seat. "You know that Rookie—"

"Was an idiot, I know. I'm tired of people touching my ass." He shrugged.

"I was just going to say he had the right idea." He finished with a chuckle. The laugh died in his throat and his smile faded when he saw her impassive expression unmoving. He sighed. "It was a—"

"Look, Kakashi. I know you're trying to lighten the mood, but I didn't exactly have the best morning—"

"It's still night."

"—And I'm not really feeling your crude jokes right now." Crude?

"What's wrong?" There was never anything good that came out of that question because of its history, so he couldn't help the nervous feeling in his gut after the words came out of his mouth.

"I don't know if any of this occurred to you yet, or any of you for that matter, but this is our careers on the line. If this doesn't go right, it's on _us, _Kakashi. You know that right? _We_ fucked up that first mission. And it's because of us that this butterfly effect took place. Kaka-sensei, we put Sasuke and Naruto's Shinobi career in jeopardy. I can't help but think what would happen if this goes wrong. My—" He placed a hand on her shoulder. Boy, could she ramble.

"Calm down," That woman had the worst nerves. "Nothing will go wrong, Sakura." She shook her head.

"I can't stomach what would happen to me if I lost this…" He closed his eyes.

"We've all put our heart and soul into our lifestyle, and if that's taken away, then…" He ran a hand through his hair. He shouldn't have asked. "We're all Shinobi. We spend lifetimes, generations—"

"But that's just it!" She shouted at him, sitting up promptly as her hands gripped the arms of her seat. "That's just it, Kakashi! Lifetimes, generations, I have _nothing."_ She whispered harshly as she gestured to herself with her hands. "I don't have a kekkai-genkai like Sasuke, my father wasn't the Yondaime Hokage like Naruto, and I damn sure haven't copied one-thousand jutsu!" She sat back, her hands outstretched and her face flustered as her nerves finally caught up to her. Her stomach had a swimming feeling, and her headache was back. "Don't you see? I'm of no consequence to those old fart bags!" He snorted at her choice of words. "They can't just cut off a kekkai-genkai, and everyone will be in protest if Naruto is dishonorably discharged for a petty reason like this. Just your surname brings in the top-ranking mission income in the _country,_ right next to Anbu, not to mention you're a part of that too! But me, Kakashi, I'm unnecessary baggage. Sure, I'm a great medic. So is Shizune. And Hinata, and Ino, and most of the medics working at the hospital! I don't have lineage, I don't have special chakra, and I don't have a kekkai-genkai. All I have is the word 'apprentice' attached to Shishou's name, and what's her word against the elders? The Daimyo?" Sakura sighed heavily, rubbing her hands down her face in tiredness. "I can't…this is just all I have to my name. I want to prove my mother wrong. I want to make my mother proud. I don't want to lose…all I have." She finished in a shaky breath.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura." A loud and deep voice boomed over the speaker in their room as the door across the room unlocked. She slowly raised herself and looked back down to Kakashi.

"We all want this to go the same." She started, looking down at her feet as Sasuke walked out in front of her. "We all want to get out of this with our heads intact. This way of life means so much to us—to _me…_Kakashi, I know you come off as nonchalant and uncaring most of the time, but please. If you do this interrogation for anyone, do it for me." And with that, she walked out of the door, and the lock clicked into place behind her.

He didn't know what this feeling was. Sympathy? Fear? Whatever it was, he now felt a compelling need to face the interrogation head on. If only for the fate of Sakura afterwards.

* * *

><p>"Please?"<p>

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Sakura, I said no."

"We've been sitting her for so long; I just want you to activate it for a second—_one second,_ just to see what's happening." He let out an exasperated sigh, resting one hand on his knee; the other ran through his hair.

"That's what got us here in the first place. We can't follow rules, remember?" He scoffed. "God, Sakura, you're the most stubborn woman I know. Can't you just be obedient for once and just wait?" Sasuke finished with a roll of his eyes as she pouted.

"I'm not the one who broke the rules in the first place…" She muttered under her breath. A light flickered on in a room about ten feet away from them, followed by a hanging light over their heads.

"Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke?" A voice was heard from the speakers around the room. Sakura nodded.

"Yes." He laid the manila folder in his hands down on the desk in front of him.

"How was your day? I know this is short notice, so you must be tired." She rolled her eyes in agreement.

"We were close to our mission destination and then this interrogation pops up. I just got over food poisoning and I'm still trying to regain my chakra, not to mention you Anbu bastards putting sedatives in me and then trying to flush them out with whatever agent you're using, and I _know_ it's not safe. The poison in my system could've mixed with the sedative, and I—ouch." Sasuke nudged her painfully in the ribs.

"Stop discussing your past expenditures." He whispered harshly. "Our day was fine." The Interrogator looked amused.

"Ah, Uchiha-san, it seems to me you're not interested in small talk. Fine. Let's cut right to the chase. Miss Haruno, 3 months and 2-and-a half weeks ago, you were captured, tortured, and demeaned as an Anbu Black Ops of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Two weeks ago, your teammates slaughtered almost up to 50 men, _illegally,_ just to save you. Although, you did choose to be captured. Your captain was dying, so you used the transportation scroll, that you _weren't_ supposed to have, and you saved him because you knew that he would be killed if he was captured by them. With all of this that has occurred, I've wondered why the three of your teammates haven't been detained for unlawful murder, and if it wasn't for them unearthing Grass's war plans, that would've been number one on the council's list." Sakura inhaled sharply then turned to look at Sasuke. His face was impassive as ever, but his mouth was set in a grim line. "Now, what I want to know is, where do they draw the line at the bond you share? Certainly not at their careers, as you can see they're being sacrificed as we speak." He gestured around him. She bit down on her lip.

"For the longest time we've only had each other. Disrupting that continuity must've triggered something. I don't know; I can't justify that myself. I do know that saving Kakashi was doing something I had to do. If I was put in the situation to do it again, I'd do it a thousand times over." She folded her fingers, looking down into her lap.

"Hm. Now, about your bonds. You've told me you're bond is only as strong as it is because of your history. In the past, I know that you dated Uchiha-san. But your relationship took a turn in the other direction when he slept with your comrade." She flinched. "But yet, as a result, your bond got stronger. Apparently so, because the Uchiha killed a large number of men that night." The interrogator said with a chuckle. "The logical assumption would only be that the strong feeling of a need to protect still remains. So, either the Uchiha still loves you, or you're sleeping with each other again." Sasuke's eyes widened as Sakura's palms flew up.

"Wait, I—"

"I digress. So, back to this bond." Sakura frowned and slumped in her seat as their Interrogator glanced at the folder again. "When the both of you were younger, you were on the same genin team. The Uchiha often belittled and disrespected you, and a lot of times rejected you. Yet when he defected, it was almost like your sole purpose was to bring him back. As if the bond you shared was evidently strong, as if the Uchiha showed any indication that your words and love alone could bring him back from his quest of power. You believed in this for a long time, and during this, Sasuke grew farther and farther apart from you. But your faith was unmoving. And despite the odds, you kept this faith. But then you brought him back…Tell me. When you finally had what you wanted so desperately at your fingertips, you rejected him. For a long time you pushed him away. Of course you didn't feel so strongly about him then. What changed? What changed from the time that you brought their unconscious bodies' home, to the time that you met him after he released from the hospital, two weeks later?" Her hands fisted in her skirt as she bore holes in the floor. Sasuke turned to her, awaiting her response.

"What do you mean what changed?" She whispered harshly. "I…I hated him. I was so angry and frustrated, and just so _confused._ He was finally home, but I didn't know how to feel. I _hated_ him, and it hurt so badly."

**6 years ago**

"Sakura."

"Hm?"

"Sakura, wake up." She groaned and rolled over as he continued to shake her shoulder.

"Naruto…" She whispered, pulling the sheet over her head. "Just one more day—" He pulled the blankets from off of her face and she shielded her eyes.

"Haruno, it's been a week. They're going to keep looking for you, and I'm going to keep getting in trouble for hiding you." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm tired of getting put on probation for you, Sakura." She frowned and sat up slowly. Rubbing her hands through her stringy hair, her eyes blinked open.

She was getting worse and worse each day.

Dirty was an understatement. He can't remember the last time she'd bathed. The salt trails cutting through the dirt on her face was evident. She barely changes, and she barely goes out. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked away.

"Naruto, I just…I just don't want to go back…I _can't_." He moved to sit beside her.

"It's almost been two months. You first told me that you needed time. His being back was a constant reminder of the pain and heartbreak it took to get him here. And being roomed with him didn't give you space to think, either. I accepted it; you were the one who was in love with him, and as a result, suffered the most. But now look. Kakashi-sensei's moved on, I've moved on, even the Village—" She slammed her fists down against the couch.

"You have to look at it through _my_ perspective, Naruto! I'm not Sasuke's best friend or eternal rival. Lying beside him in a hospital room won't release my pent up hate for him!" She stopped herself and sighed, slowing herself down. "At first I thought, 'maybe if I just see him, I could fall into his arms and everything would be better. It would all be okay'. But then things were different. He woke up and…I tried to hurt him." A tear fell from her eyes. "I don't work like you do. And now to be his personal nurse? Naruto, everyday he wakes up and just looks at me. Every day I feel the urge to, to instead of check his vital signs, put my hand on his chest and squeeze. Squeeze until the blood starts to pour from his nose." Naruto's eyes widened, then he looked away.

"I know, Sakura. I know how much you're hurting—"

"You don't. You d—"

"Then give him a chance!"

"Stop cutting me off!" He grabbed at his scalp and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sakura, stop deviating! Just—" He rubbed his hand down his face. Arguing with Sakura was a lost cause. "Just give him a chance." She scoffed.

"Give him a chance? You mean give him _another_ chance. It gets unbearable to give and give and get nothing in return. Then when that person is finally ready to receive, to give _back,_ you have nothing left to give." Tears were flowing freely. "I loved Sasuke more than anything in the world. I lived only to bring him back to Konoha. And despite how much we were shut down and beaten, I—_we_ continued to give him one chance after another. We gave and gave until there was nothing left in our hearts but love for him. But now, even that's gone." Naruto looked away. Sasuke took Sakura's all when he left. Now that he's back, he's trying to return the shattered, scattered pieces that remain, but it just won't fit together. She lay back down and turned away from him. She's been crying like this a lot and she hated it. Especially when he watched her. Especially when he gave her that look.

She pulled the covers up to her shoulders.

"I'm tired of feeling like this, Naruto. I'm tired of feeling so weak around him. Every time I see him, I just want to break down and cry. And I hate feeling like this so much, yet I just can't let go." She whispered.

"Then…then just look at it through his perspective, Sakura-chan." She looked at him through the corners of her eyes. He was smiling now, that cheeky grin he always gave her. Something so familiar didn't even have the same effect on her now. "Sasuke isn't deaf nor stupid, just blind. Every time we came to rescue him, we gave him the same plea, the same promise. And he heard us, I know he did. Every time we told him that there was a place for him here, at home and in our hearts, if he ever decided to return. Now, he's here. I cried with him while in our hospital beds, and he sought out Kakashi and fought him the second he awoke. Now he's waiting on you. You loved him with all of your heart, and now that he's back, it seems all of that has disappeared." He paused, anger in his voice. "I don't think you understand, Sakura. Sasuke loves you!" Her eyes widened. "He's been waiting on you and only you. You were the one thing he came back for when he completed his journey. Not my vow, not Sensei's pledge to make things right. _You._ You and your unacknowledged love. Someone he thought would always be there for him. Well guess what? You're not. Because you're _afraid._ You're afraid that if you let him back in, then he'll leave you again. You're heart will be in a worse mess than it was when he left you the first time. Stop being so fucking scared and be the Sakura I know you to be! The _one_ time I need you to act on your impulses, you don't!"

"Because I _can't!_" She shot up. Her eyes were puffy. Strands of hair clung to her wait face. "I _can't._" She pleaded. His face scrunched up.

"Why the hell not then?" She turned away from him. "Right." He got up from beside her and went to grab his keys from the kitchen counter. "Go home, Sakura. Go home and look Sasuke in the face. Tell him how much you really hate him. Maybe then you can love him." With that, he slammed the door behind him.

* * *

><p>She sighed, trying desperately to grab the herbs from the top shelf. Just leaving them would be out of the question. It wasn't Sasuke's fault she hasn't grown since she was 16. Her final resolve was climbing the shelves.<p>

"I've got it, Sakura-nee-chan." She stopped, one foot on the bottom shelf, her other hand clasping the farthest one she could reach, as someone much taller than her came and grabbed it with ease. She blushed and scratched the back of her neck.

"Ah, thanks Konohamaru." He gave her a cheeky smile in return. Then, a confused look appeared on his face.

"Did I get the right one?" She shrugged her shoulders as he showed her the container.

"I actually need one of everything." He nodded, grabbing the rest of them and placing them in her basket. Then he moved over and grabbed some for himself. "So what are you doing back here? I didn't know you were a medic." She's been out of touch with him since after rebuilding the Village, and she couldn't blame herself. They've had problems of their own to deal with.

"N-n-no, no," He blushed while rubbing his shoulder. "I'm just picking these up for Moegi. She gave me her ID since she's sick at home—" She raised an eyebrow. "Her parents are away on a mission so I'm taking care of her…" She raised the other eyebrow. He shook his hands. "No, no, no, it's not like that!" She patted his shoulder and walked past him.

"You're 15, remember that." She said with a laugh. He gently grabbed her wrist after her.

"Nee-chan." She stopped, her head turning slightly.

"Yes, Konohamaru?" He took a deep breath and let her go.

"Are you doing okay? I mean, baa-chan's been telling me about Naruto-nii-chan's countless probations for withholding the right of medical assistance. At first I didn't know what it was about because I was out on a mission with Udon and Moegi. On top of that, I didn't think nii-chan would prevent anyone from getting medical help. But I knew you guys left on a mission before I left. I just thought it was another false lead. I never even considered the thought of you guys actually bringing Sasuke-kun home." She visibly flinched. Konohamaru pursed his lips. "We returned some time after you got back and I couldn't see Sasuke-kun or Naruto-nii-chan because they were both in ICU." He looked down. "Then a few weeks later, I couldn't go on a 2-man with Naruto-nii-chan because he was on probation, so—" She smiled sadly.

"You're rambling again. I thought you grew out of that." He blushed, catching his breath.

"Well I found out that you were the personal nurse assigned to Sasuke-kun. But whenever I went to his apartment, you were never there. I remember asking around, and Hyuuga-san told me you were in the apothecary section two days ago restocking on herbs." She looked away from him. "I don't know the extent of anything, nee-chan. Your relationships, your pain, your fears…I just know that you made a promise to Sasuke. You of all people closest to nii-chan should know the most about the importance of keeping vows and not going back on your word. I'm not in any position to tell you this, nee-chan, but Sasuke-kun's waiting on you. If you haven't noticed, he's hurting too. His reacceptance from you is more important than anyone else's because he knew your love for him was the strongest. If that's not there anymore, then…"

"I hope Moegi thinks your rambling is cute." He frowned, his face flustered.

"Just—Just think about what I said, nee-chan!" She raised her hand in a goodbye, taking her leave. She moved throughout the apothecary section going back towards the grocery store. She's almost positive that there should be an abundance of food in the apartment, but she decided on getting something to make tonight. He should be waking up soon anyway.

She grabbed a stray cart and placed her basket inside of it. She moved down the shelves and starting picking out canned foods. She spotted the sticky rice and sighed heavily. She could only assume it was his favorite food; it was the only thing he ate when she made a Miso soup dish. Well, when she was at home to make a Miso soup dish.

Another sigh.

She placed three of them in her cart. Why was everyone on her case in the first place?

Oh yeah. She publicly almost killed Sasuke. Her deranged actions must've circled the village at least twice by now. She scoffed in memory. That was an understatement because they were _still_ talking about it. It couldn't be her fault. Sakura shut herself away after their mission was completed, after the three of her teammates were taken into ICU for their critical injuries. She didn't come out, not even to visit Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. Ino told her teammates to meet her at town square, and she dragged the unknowing Sakura out of the house.

"Pig, I just want to go _home._" Sakura said tiredly as she was dragged by the wrist throughout the Village. Ino rolled her eyes.

"When was the last time you left Naruto's house?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Um…I didn't…"

"Exactly. That was three weeks ago. Just because you weren't admitted into the Hospital too doesn't mean your injuries weren't extensive." It was Sakura's turn to roll her eyes.

"I'm an elite medic. I think I know how to heal critical injuries."

"You're right. But after a mission like that? When you had to find a way to get all three of your comatose teammates home? When you didn't sleep for four days? Your medical handiwork might've been shady then." Sakura sighed. She knew when to let Ino win. In some cases, not pushing it because she knew she was right.

"Okay, Ino. Fresh air, I get it. But you could've taken me to the training grounds, or even the civilian park. But the Village square? I hate the looks on their faces. Pity…sympathy…it sickens me." Sakura slowed. "They don't know our story or our fight. They don't know the costs of what it took to finally find him, and, and…and bring him home." Ino stopped pulling her and looked back. "Pig, he's finally here. It's been seven years and he's finally, _finally_ here. I mean, I've pictured this differently so many times. I either fell into his arms, or he found me and kissed me, it's been one fantasy after another. But now this dream is a reality and all of that has faded away. Now I'm just left with questions. How will he really feel?" She used her free hand to smooth her hair back. "I mean, I should've gone to visit them a week and-a-half ago. They were stabilized almost immediately and I _am_ comfortable with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei, so I could've at least seem them, if anything. They've been out of the Hospital for two days now and I still don't know where they are. I've been staying at Naruto's house so he's not there, and I doubt Kakashi-sensei would willingly open up his apartment for the two of them, so… Just the thought of all my teammates together again, walking around freely in the same Village I'm in…It takes me back so far. I'm excited to see them, but at the same time…it scares the hell out of me." She released all the pent up energy she was holding as she spoke her feelings. Ino guided them to a nearby bench and directed her to sit. She followed suit.

"Sakura…I can't begin to dissect how you're feeling right now. And I can't even say I know how it feels because…Sasuke and I were never close. I never held a bond with him. I can't even say I knew him. The only thing we have in common is the fact that we were Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, and that's _all._" Sakura turned away. She couldn't really say she held a bond with Sasuke, either. That's why she was so ambivalent about his return…that's why she was hurting so much. What exactly could she say to the boy she barely knew? "When you guys left on your last mission, I cried. This wasn't just another false lead. It was valid information. Sasuke was weak from his last battle and licking his wounds in Snow. He was injured, but I didn't know what to expect. He'd just killed Madara, and I know Naruto has gotten stronger as well, but I couldn't help but fear for his well-being. The last time Naruto thought he was strong enough to fight Sasuke…I just didn't want that scare again." Ino rubbed the back of her neck. "I was…the first medic to know, after Shishou; about the message you sent telling medic teams to be ready upon your arrival. Your usually neat handwriting was ineligible enough to rival Kakashi's, and you sealed it with blood. Upon further inspection, it was unidentifiable, meaning it could only be Sasuke's. To not use chakra when sealing meant you were weak and had to use blood. And to use someone else's blood meant they had some to spare. We were in a frenzy for those four days.

"I was a part of the medic team that waited at the gates. We had several news teams and some people from the History department to record it and put it in the archives camped out there too. If Sasuke was alive, then he would be the first traitor allowed legally back into the Leaf Village. And if Naruto was alive as well, then…their fight would go down in history. They just wanted to have the first coverage of the infamous team once they stepped back into Village territory. That was probably the liveliest Konoha has _ever_ been once the sensory team caught sight of you four only a few miles away. The whole Village was awake at two am. The headlines that morning was 'Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara rematch; The nine-tailed-fox and the Uchiha's sole survivor'" Ino waved down a vendor and bought them each a dango stick. Sakura quickly took a bite out of hers. Food was scarce at Naruto's house, seeing that Konohamaru had a key.

"Cute. It fits, even though Naruto isn't related to the Senju Clan." Ino hummed.

"Technically, though, yes. Naruto's grandmother from the Uzumaki Clan married the Shodai Hokage." Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino stared at her for a bit as she finished off her dango stick mechanically. "Sakura?"

"Hm?" She answered, tossing her stick in a nearby trash can.

"I just want you to be happy. This is what you've wanted for so long, and now that you have it, you don't know how to handle it. Sasuke's awake; he's here, prowling the Village. Your whole team has been through _hell, _and now you're all finally here _together._ Please don't take this for granted." Sakura turned away in thought, remembering that Ino's team lost their sensei and Hinata's team had to be disbanded from their sensei.

"I know." She finally answered. Getting up, Sakura dusted herself off and held out a hand for Ino, giving her a small smile. Her first in a long time. "I know. I have to go see them, but that'll be a pain, not knowing where they are and all."

"Good thing we're right here, huh Haruno." She froze. She couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else's. She could be hearing things, but the body heat behind her proved her otherwise. "Sorry we've been missing for the past couple of days, but you kind of went MIA after we were admitted into the Hospital. When we got out, we were shrouded with paperwork, the mission report, and then of course mission detailing—"

"Oh, Naruto." She turned and fell into his arms, her hands fisted in the back of his mesh shirt. Her sobs were loud, ugly things that racked her body as she shook against his. The only thing keeping her up were the strong hands wrapped across her waist. Her face was immediately wet, and there was so much snot running out of her nose. It wasn't long before she could feel the tears on his shirt. She was sure he wouldn't care right then.

Reality wasn't an option for her those four days traveling from snow back to Konoha. She couldn't afford to think of it. Her chakra was drained, it was cold, and she had many open wounds. If she even thought for a moment that their suffering was finally over, her fight would've been gone, and she would've passed out alongside her three teammates. She was so afraid to even move those two weeks she spent in Naruto's house. She thought that even the slightest of movements would shatter the dream she was in, and bring her back. Sasuke wasn't really in the Hospital; he wasn't safe within Village walls. But here, clinging to Naruto for dear life, she felt it. The usual tenseness in his body was gone. He was relaxed. She tasted their triumphs through her salty tears. No more heartache, no more searching. Their team was finally back together. Naruto, Sasuke—

She quickly pulled back from Naruto.

Uchiha Sasuke. The teammate that's evaded their grasp for so long was right in front of her, and it was unreal. He looked so different, but then the same. His features more defined and his shoulders strong and broad. He even got taller. Her eyes were wide as she continued to examine him; her hands clung tightly to her medic skirt.

"Sasuke…" She whispered under her breath. He seemed to have heard it because he was staring right back at her. He moved forward to stand beside Naruto, his face as impassive as ever. She took a small step forward and slowly reached out her hand. Just to touch him. Just to make sure that he was real. Her middle finger brushed against his forearm first, and traced his arm hair down to his arm. They stared at it. Her arm fell in confirmation. She looked back up at him as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Sasuke, it's you." She took another step forward, her arms prepared to embrace him, but then she saw it. It was very unnoticeable, and it was very brief. It was so familiar to her, this facial expression he just showed, yet it caused something to bubble deep within her. A stinging feeling in her chest. _'Why?'_ She thought as her heart clenched. Why did that one thing bring back so many memories, so much pain to her heart? The warmness faded as red flashed behind her eyelids.

Did he think that everything was fine now? That she and Naruto could just forget the scars that adorned their hearts?

Did he think that Sakura would just drop everything and continue to love him as she did six years ago? The rage continued to build inside of her as the arm that was previously outstretched to embrace him, lunged at his neck.

"You _bastard!_" They fell to the ground, Sasuke too surprised to do anything, as Sakura's nails clawed at his throat. Fresh skin caked under her fingers as blood ran down his neck.

"Sakura!" Ino yelled, stunned just like the rest of the bystanders. Her tears mixed with the blood on her hands and his face. When there was only raw skin left, she grabbed his jaw, covering his chin with his blood.

"It's not okay!" She punched him. "It'll never be okay!" Another punch. "You _hurt_ us…so badly." She continued to punch him until she heard his ragged breaths. She paused, her legs tightly wound around his waist, pinning him securely to the ground. Her grip was still strong on his jaw, and she laid her face on his. "This pain you're feeling…It can't even begin to compare to what we felt. What I _feel._" Her tears dropped from the corners of her eyes onto his cheek."I'm hurting…you can't just come home and expect everything to be the same as it was when you left. I'm…I'm not the same girl you knocked out. The same girl you had begging for you to stay. These two weeks…" She let out a slow shaky breath. "I formulated my reaction to your living, breathing body in Konoha. And each time I pictured something so wrong, given the situation we're in now. Actually seeing your face, having you here in front of me, _under_ me…" She looked down at his face flushed red. "It just made me realize how much I _really_ hate you." She saw his eyes widen for a second, then slightly narrow. "No on e can change in a week. No one. You can't suddenly go from trying to kill Naruto to finally wanting to come back home." She shot up, forcefully snatching his jaw from side to side. Her anger flared again. "You can't just change like that! What made you want to come home? Huh? Was it because all of your worthless allies were already dead? Did you think you could still fall back on the ones you abandoned here?!" As she shouted, she started to punch him. "What made you want to come back—!"

"You!" He yelled back at her. Her fist froze halfway to his face, her expression frozen as well. Her eyes wide, he spit out blood on the dirt beside him. And then, her demeanor changed. It got darker, and her fist became inflamed with chakra.

"Bullshit!" She yelled, choking back tears while her anger showed through her voice. "You fucking liar! You never thought of me!" Her fist laced with chakra came down on his face, and a hush fell over the crowd as they heard the telltale crunch of bones crushing.

"Sakura! That's enough!" She fought the strong hands pulling her from her waist and she was scooped into someone's arms. She latched onto Sasuke's neck.

"All of my pleas and cried fell on deaf ears! You never heard me! It was never for _me._ You don't know how I'm hurting, you bastard!" She continued to choke him and kick at her captor, Kakashi. Naruto stood shell-shocked, as he did when she first lunged at Sasuke's neck. He was unable to do anything. Ino stood crying, and the crowd gave her looks of contempt. Why did she try to kill someone who saved them? Someone on crutches, none the less. The Village that once held the Uchiha in scorn was now kissing his feet because of him slaying Kabuto and stopping the reanimation jutsu. She began to struggle against Kakashi as he finally managed to pull her off of his neck. "If you truly cared for any of us, you would've felt Naruto's pain for you! You would've heard his cries for you and recognized his desperate efforts to keep your sorry ass from getting branded as a criminal on an international level! You would've saw how he kept everyone from killing you! Even myself." She slowly went slack; her anger released itself and her emotions running wild. "I hate you, Uchiha Sasuke. From my mind, to my heart, to the very core of my being. Naruto and Kakashi-sensei and the others may have you fooled, but things will _never_ be the same." Her fight left her as her blood caked hands clung to Kakashi's vest, and her tears didn't cease to come. "Never…" Were the last words she spoke before passing out.

She sighed, shaking the vivid memory from her mind. Placing the groceries on the counter, she waited for her food to be priced. Did he think that if he came back, that she would just love him unconditionally, as she did before? That his years of treachery and betrayal meant nothing now that he was back? They couldn't blame her for not wanting to treat him. She was the only one not fooled by his "new person" façade. She pulled out her wallet and handed the cashier some money. Grabbing her large bags of groceries, she headed out of the door.

"Have a nice day, Haruno-san." She refused to answer. Her days were always shitty, and they weren't looking like a turn of events would make them any better any time soon.

Not only did they have to stay together, she has to care for him. She faced the urge not to harm him each and every day. That's why she leaves. She'd rather drug him so he's out for days, than yell and scream at him, and eventually, hurt him. Apparently, this isn't the proper etiquette for a personal nurse, so she's had Naruto hide her. When this became frequent, her Shishou brought sensory ninja to find her, and when they did, Naruto was put on probation, and her pay was docked. She could care less about the money. One day, her Shishou would realize that Sakura just couldn't do the job. Despite Sasuke being revered as the new hero to some, there are still many people who don't like the fact that there was a traitor in their midst. It was too risky to place him in a public Hospital. He sustained severe heart and leg injuries, so they couldn't just prescribe bed rest. There was only three medical ninja capable of caring for heart injuries of his caliber. One of a which, a male medical ninja who refused to treat him off the bat. Despite the punishment he was threatened with, he held his ground. The second person being the Hokage herself who just couldn't find the time out of her busy schedule to give him the constant care he required. The last person would be Sakura. If she had known earlier of his injuries, she would've refused first so that the male medic-nin could be the one they fell back on, not Sakura. Still, she pushed her luck and refused, but working so closely to the Hokage, her medical order was official, and wasn't one to play with.

They couldn't do that, could they? She would have to check the rule book.

Yet Naruto's probation got longer and longer each time, and sooner or later, Sasuke would grow accustomed to the drug, and then become immune. She sighed heavily. Naruto's words this morning rang true. First off, probation meant no pay, and Naruto still had bills. Given his high income and the reason his income had been momentarily suspended, financial aid wouldn't be available to him. They'll take his father's house, and it would be Sakura's fault. Another sigh. She had to go home now and care for Sasuke. The drug wears off today anyway. She passed by the adult bookstore and thought of Kakashi. This caused her to stop in front of it, and she peered into the window. She wasn't surprised to see him inside, flirting his way from paying full price for a special edition book. He caught her gaze and smiled, holding up a finger. She backed away from the window just as the female clerk handed him something that wasn't a receipt.

"Hello, Sakura-chan." She began to walk as he fell into step beside her. He noticed her slower gait and reached out a hand, nodding to her groceries. She handed them over without an argument.

"Thanks, Sensei. I've been a little out of it today." She sighed.

"Naruto got put on probation again?" She shook her head. Kakashi was fully aware of the situation. He could at least understand her feelings about Sasuke. She held the most feelings for him; therefore, it was hard for her to just accept him back into her life because of all the pain he's put her through. And sure, she thinks running away from the problem will help, everyone does, but it never solves anything. She usually stays at Naruto's house for at least another day until Tsunade-sama's ninja pay her a visit, and they were headed in the opposite direction. Judging from her defeated demeanor, Naruto must've told her to go home. With the emotional state that Sakura's in, placing Sasuke in her care may not have been the best idea on the Hokage's part. Kakashi was never one to take sides, but she's given him so many drugs since she's been assigned as his personal nurse, so he could only assume what that's doing to his body. On top of that, he's not being taken care of every day like he should be, and he faces the prospect of death each time Sakura _is_ home, just depending on how hateful she's feeling that day.

Yeah, he definitely feels for the Uchiha.

"I just…don't know." He was brought out of his thought and turned to her. "I mean, I know I'm not like you guys…not at all. You were back on good terms just by simply duking it out in a fist fight. Shishou purposely ordered their beds to be in the same Hospital room, knowing how they work, and knowing that they'll have a long bitch fest when they wake and then go back to being best friends, as if he never left for six years." She placed a finger on her chin. "I'm not his teacher, so I can't just fight with him to make everything better. I'm not his best friend, so bawling like a baby with him won't release my pent up hate. Looking back on it, the only relationship I had with Sasuke was being his teammate. I wasn't his friend because he showed time and time over he only care for me in a battlefield setting. He continuosly rejected me and broke my heart even before his betrayal, so why did I let my mind think that I could accept him back so calmly? That his being home would restore a relationship that we never had?" She closed her eyes.

"I continuosly treated you as an outcast on my genin team, which made Sasuke think he was right to portray you as the weakling who's slack always had to be picked up. So to him, because of what his brother instilled in him, your weakness was a burden, and to become stronger, he had to abandon everything weak about him. I don't think it was personal, but that's one of the main reasons he ended up rejecting you all of the time. He only thought of you as a comrade. He may have been a bastard, but he had enough chivalry to save you in your time of need." She knew all of this in her heart, but brought to words hurt even more. One of the reasons why her impulses won't let her forget about her past rejection. She's held onto her hate, and her heart wants to make him feel what she's felt so much of for so long. Her mind knew it was wrong, but when her feeling were involved she could never be rational.

"I thought I was ready for him to return, but I guess not. Just holding onto this much hate is eating away at me. But I can't just forgive him." She fished for her keys as they approached the apartment complex. "So what are you going home to do, Sakura? Hurting him brings release, but you've reversed the healing on his lower body by jumping on him the other day. As a medic you know it's unfair to injure the injured, but you can't keep your feelings at bay." As they reached the top of the stairs and got to her door, he handed her the groceries and started back down. Then he paused.

"If you don't think of anything else, think of the promises that we made him. He's kept them in the back of his mind just in case, and now that he's back, you're breaking them. Just…" He paused again, reaching the bottom step. "Just think of all the reasons why he would come back, and think of why the reasons he would come back for you are the strongest." He gave her a wave and continued onto the street. She put her key into the door and unlocked it, using her shoulder to push it open. She kicked off her sandals and placed the groceries and her keys on the kitchen counter.

She left him for a few days, so she supposed the right thing to do right now would be to check on him. But all she wanted to do was sleep. She walked back to the living room and slumped down into the couch. She should start studying for her jonin exams before he woke. She heard it's going to be especially hard this year, on top of that, some jonin have to retest because of their lack of high-ranking missions. If they fail, they get knocked back down to Tokubetsu jonin. She wasn't scared. Only she knew Kakashi had to retest too. He's only been on a few S-rank missions in the past few years, and the missions he took his team on to rescue Sasuke only went as high as B. She wouldn't think they would pair up a Chunin with a Jonin, but with their surnames being so damn close…the possibilities of fighting someone other than him was slim. Her sensei may have said they were equals, but it was a damn lie back then and it still rang true. She'd rather—

She heard a small repetitive noise. Someone wouldn't break into her house, right? She knew that many people didn't agree with Sasuke being in the Village, and while she was a part of that number, she couldn't let him die in her care. She rapped softly on the wall above her head. When the flap creaked open she pulled out her kunai, just as the figure appeared before her. She froze in place.

"I didn't know you hid your weapons." There was a strict, unspoken rule about small talk in the house. There were only medical questions, or you had to be making dying sounds. Otherwise, everyone is silent. She ignored his remark.

"What're you doing awake?" She asked. She drugged him, she was sure, and she put the right dosage. He leaned his crutches against the wall and lowered himself to the stool.

"You've given it to me so often and administered so much of it that my body has gotten used to it." She sighed. She knew this would happen. It was Sasuke, after all.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, raising herself to go to the kitchen. She started unpacking groceries. She heard the noise of his crutches as he followed her.

"Yeah, I haven't eaten in a while. She bit her lip. He only recently regained a little movement in his lower body, so if his crutches were across the room and he was awake, he wouldn't have been able to get up and fix himself something to eat. The guilt trip worked. She washed her hands.

"What do you want? I bought rice, so—"

"Rice balls, please." She paused. She's never heard a 'please' or any pleasantry come from his mouth, so she was taken aback. She fished through her fridge.

"Anything else? You haven't eaten, so you must be hungry." He shook his head.

"No, I'm fine." She shrugged her shoulders and went about preparations. "Where do you go? When you're not here, I mean." She bent over to look in her lower cabinets for a pot.

"I have to run errands. The Village is still a mess." She found it and filled it with water.

"Hm." She paused and turned her head slightly as she turned the stove on and placed the pot atop it.

"You don't believe me? Well who are you to question my whereabouts, anyway." She retorted. This was why there was no small talk in her house. It led to her coldness.

"I just don't think it takes a week to run errands." She gripped the edges of the pot.

"I'm here now, aren't I? I'm here." She breathed in and exhaled slowly. Things like this shouldn't get her as riled up as they do, but every conversation she had with him made her heart feel like it was breaking a little more each time.

"Yeah, you're right." He smiled, as if withholding laughter. "I just don't want to go into cardiac arrest while you're out—"

"Shut-up!" His injuries didn't seem to hinder his reflexes. He hopped out of the way to dodge the oncoming pot thrown at him, but he was soaked in near-hot water. It crashed into the wall and feel onto the floor. "Just shut_-up._" Her shoulders heaved up and down. She was numb to the searing pain in her hands and to her peeling skin. Her shoulders dropped finally, her adrenaline leaving her. "Just stop. Stop trying to sit here and talk with me as if there's no space between us, because there is! We had _nothing._ You didn't even recognize me as a friend, so I don't know why I would ever think you could recognize me as a lover. So how could I?" She fisted her hands against the edge of the sink as he closed his eyes. "How could I ever think I loved you? That's why I'm hurting so badly now. For so many years my passion was built upon this false love I had for you. Apparently, I never grew because I never realized this. I was stuck in my dream world for so long and to be pulled out…I hate change." She leaned over the sink and stared into the drain, trying desperately to pull her thoughts out. "As a girl, I was immune to your rejection. I didn't get it. Had I gotten it then, I could've saved myself the heartache. But I was blinded by this sense of unrequited love. A love that I thought would finally be returned if I could just bring you back. If I did that, if I changed you, then the days of rejection would be over with. It's thoughts like that; petty thoughts like that that fueled me for so long to want to bring you back home.

"Ino tried to figure out why I was still hurting now that you were back. She thought it was because of the bond we shared as kids…but what bond?" She tried to gather herself. She couldn't cry in front of him, especially when she's trying to act so strong. Crying would reverse that. "Tell me, Sasuke-kun," She said mockingly. "What exactly was this special bond we shared? I don't remember one, and I'm almost positive you sure as hell don't. You only cared for me as a teammate. Bound to me only by Team 7 and the duty instilled by the Village to protect your teammates. A duty that, once you were strong enough, you abandoned. You left. And for that? That…that false sense of loyalty you gave to us? For all of my misguided actions, my years of pain, I hate you. And I hate you because that's all that's left now. The love is gone. You've twisted my heart with your words and crushed it with the strong desire you had to destroy us. I hate you! I hate you for the suffering you put Naruto and me through! The bond that you two shared led him to believe that when you left, he could bring you back! That your loyalty wasn't false, that you actually felt something for us. Naruto's love for you kept me going. Have you ever put your faith in something time and time again only for it to keep letting you down?" She choked out.

She couldn't hold it in any longer. She covered her mouth as she cried. Her sobs were loud. She leaned against the sink as a means to keep herself from falling. She'd stay there and cry for hours if she could, but she had to get it out. She had to let him know how she was hurting. She didn't know how that would affect him, if it would at all. But the pain constantly tearing at her heart was eating away at her. If she was going to live with him, look at him each day, she couldn't see him as a painful reminder.

She continued to cry.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice the body limp up behind her until he spoke.

"I'll take whatever you throw at me. I deserve it." She paused. Then she turned and punched him in the gut. "I deserve that." He rasped. She punched him again.

"Why'd you come back, huh? To hurt us? Because if that's the case you deserve and A for effort!" She punched him in the chest this time, ignoring his heart injuries.

"I deserve that." He breathed. She continued to punch him in the chest.

"Shut-up! Do you think you can just fall back on us because you've completed your quest? That after you've caused irreplaceable damage to our hearts, that you can just come back and start over? You've reopened wounds! How, just how can one person turn my emotions into an uproar? How? You're not worth it! How could I ever—" He stopped her coming fist and pulled her into his arms.

"I'll wait then. I'll wait until I'm worth it and then on that day we'll regroup." He held onto her tighter and placed his chin atop her head. "If you hate me, then it's for a plausible clause. I may never be aware of how you hurt. To become stronger, I had to rid myself of the strong bonds I held in my heart. To sever them took a lot. I can see you trying to sever the bond between us, and I can't stop you. Sever it. Tell me how much you hate me because I know you mean it. I'll just wait. I'll wait until you feel that you've given me a taste of my own medicine." Her eyes were wide and her body was frozen against him. She couldn't get away from her feelings, could she? From everything she's experienced, she's never been in such close proximity with him, in such close contact unless it was fleeting. She fought her feelings and struggled against him.

"I hate you!" she felt him nod.

"I know." She stopped struggling. "Please hate me, Sakura. Hate me until there's no more hate left. Maybe then your heart can be filled with love for me again. Because I finally think…" He lowered his head and let it rest in the crook of her neck. "I finally think I'm ready to return that love." She buried her face in his chest and gripped the back of his shirt, not caring that her nails were digging into his wounded back. She went slack against his strong arms and cried, letting go of the hate in her heart.

The burden in her chest almost immediately felt lighter.

"Thank-you, Sakura. Thank-you for loving me."

* * *

><p>He bolted for the gates once he saw them in the distance. He was gone too long. He feared what he would find upon his return. Sakura wouldn't be that vindictive as to kill Sasuke and go into hiding. But harming him horribly and then trying desperately to heal him sounds just like her. He really hoped it didn't come to that.<p>

Gaara requested him in Suna for diplomatic issues. Why he would ask for Naruto of all people, he couldn't decide. But there were complications, and it ran on too long. It was only supposed to be three days, but it ran onto two weeks. Bear Country didn't make the initial conference because of transportation complications. That was the first week he stayed. The second week, Naruto had to accompany Gaara to Snow to apologize for the vast area of land destroyed in their previous fight. And now, he was home.

'_Far too long…'_

"Hey, Naruto!" He heard a faint voice in the distance.

"I gotta go, Izumo, Kotetsu!" The barrier as the gates started to rise.

"Naruto, you're going too fast, you'll kill yourself!" He skidded to a stop about 10 yards away, stopping right before the rising barrier. Both feet were embedded in the dirt.

"Argh!" He switched out of tailed best mode and dug his feet from the ground. He limped over to their station. "I'm in a hurry; couldn't you have just given me a pass?" Izumo frowned.

"You know going through customs after a mission is mandatory." Naruto rolled eyes.

"You take your job too seriously. Now I really have to go—"

"What're you in such a hurry for anyway?" He ran a tired hand through his hair.

"Sakura." Kotetsu raised an eyebrow.

"Are you two still—?"

"No! No. Not anymore. But she's with Sasuke, I know you've heard." He sighed again. "Can't you just fill it out for me?" He took his pack from his shoulders and dug through it. He pulled out his mission scroll and placed it on the table in front of them.

"That's illegal, and you know it."

"Under the table, then." They frowned. "Baa-chan's not going to fire you. You're the only two suckers who'll do this job anyway." Izumo frowned as Naruto sighed again. "What do I have to do?" Kotetsu's face lit up.

"Well, there is one thing…"

"Well what is it? I don't have much time!" He fingered his goatee.

"Get us a date with Sakura." Naruto's eyes widened.

"But—But, you're _old._ And together? That's just—"

"Get us a date with Sakura." He repeated.

"Kami, she's going to kill me." He whispered under his breath. Rolling his eyes, he looked up to the early evening sky. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Fine, Whatever." Naruto put his fingers together and summoned chakra to unseal his mission scroll.

"Tonight, 7, the Jonin Pub in the food district." He hoisted his pack back onto his shoulders.

"I'm _really_ going to regret this…" He muttered, taking off towards his house.

* * *

><p>He grabbed the key from the porch light.<p>

"Aah!" He tossed it from hand to hand. He should've thought about light=heat beforehand. He hurriedly jostled the key in the lock and pushed open the door.

"Sakura?" Hearing her name, her frozen arms started working at pulling back from his embrace as Sasuke lips reluctantly left hers.

"Naruto…you're back," Emotions flashed across his face as she jogged towards Naruto, pushing him gently out of the door. She closed it behind her.

"Naruto, I—" He hugged her, one hand wrapped around her middle, the other holding her head to his chest.

"No, don't explain." She pulled back.

"I think I finally understand what all of you meant. Ino, Kakashi, they all said Sasuke came back for me. I mean, why would I believe that? He never showed me any affection, or even care towards me outside of the battlefield. I couldn't fathom…" She grabbed her Haruno shirt, the place above her heart. It's only been two weeks, Naruto, but he's _trying._ It's not much, but the small steps he's taking to earn our trust…it's enough for me." He smiled. She then looked down and frowned. "Naruto, I hope you're not mad." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Mad, Haruno, why would I be mad?" She bit her lip.

"Because he…we were…he ki—"

"Sakura, that was a long time ago. We only had each other, and that was fine with the situation we were forced with." She visibly relaxed.

"I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable. I had to reroute his blood flow like I usually do, so he couldn't lay down, because if he did it would clot, and then he would have a heart attack, so I healed him standing up, and then he cornered me—"

"Haruno, _ breathe._" She stopped her rambling and took a deep breath. Boy, Konohamaru sure did grow on her.

"What I mean is, I don't know what's happening. Two weeks ago, I thought he was a bastard, a filthy liar, and a goddamned traitor. I thought that we were fools to think that he's changed. But now…he's opening up, Naruto. He's kissing me, for Kami's sake. Sasuke's come to terms with his past. I think he…" She grabbed a hold of his hand and flattened it against her chest. He moved in closer. "I think he came back so that we could heal together." She smiled at her words. She's been doing a lot of that lately. He squeezed her tighter.

"I'm just so glad you're happy, Sakura. Your pain was eating away at you, and it killed me just as well." She dropped his hand as he shook his head. "You've really been here, alone, with him, for two weeks? No drugs, no fights?" She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Naruto." He raised an eyebrow. "He changed my whole view of him the afternoon you kicked me out. I needed him seven years ago, and now that's he's here, he needs us." She smoothed her hair back, sighing. "I was stupid. Because of my hate, I almost…I just can't lose him again." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Does that mean you're still in love with him? It's only been two weeks and…" She shook her head fervently.

"No, Naruto. I want to be friends. I want to begin building a relationship with him. Committing to a relationship with a teammate was and still isn't appropriate." He closed his eyes. "I'll just have to walk before I run." She turned quickly and walked back into the apartment. He moved and followed her.

"Hey Teme." Naruto grinned as he took off his sandals and placed them at the door.

"Dobe." He replied casually as he sat sideways on the couch, the leg that was wrapped in a cast elevated on the seat. Naruto was about to go and greet him when he stopped immediately, smacking a hand across his head.

"Sakura, you have a d—!" He slapped a hand over his mouth as she quickly turned to face him, concern etched across her face.

"What? I have a what?" She pestered. He blinked, trying to rephrase his words.

"_We_ have a get-together, tonight I think, at the Pub, in-in the food district. It's at um…It's at 7!" Her eyebrows were furrowed as Naruto stuttered out his words.

"Okay…" She said skeptically. "What type of get-together? And what should I wear?" He put a finger on his chin.

"Uh, just a small one, I guess. And…casual?" She raised her eyebrows. "Casual, yes casual." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, well it's only six so I still have to find something to wear. And if it's a small gathering then it'll probably just be the usual crowd so not _too_ dressy." She whispered to herself. "Ah, I've been _craving_ to get out!" Sasuke turned ad gave her a look. "I mean like…go to a—Oh, you know what I mean." He rolled his eyes. She turned back to Naruto. "I have to go call Pig, and—"

"No!" Yet again, her eyebrows furrowed, confused at his sudden outburst. "I _mean,_ she already _knows._ She'll be there at 7 too, I think." He muttered the last part. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Uzumaki." She walked over into the living room and stood beside Sasuke, properly elevating his leg and putting pillows underneath it.

"Ah, ah, Sakura, please." He gasped. She stopped immediately. Frowning, she combed her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. She pulled a hair tie from her medic skirt and placed her hair in a ponytail on top of her head.

"Naruto, what am I going to do with Sasuke?" She placed her hands on her hips and Naruto met her beside the couch. "I can't go. I'm supposed to be taking care of him, and his heart—"

"I'm fine. Just take me to the room so that I can sleep." He laid back on the couch and rested his arms behind his head. "I'm tired, anyway. I haven't been sleeping." Naruto gave a pointed look to Sakura. She gave him one right back.

"I hope you're not assuming I'm carrying you there. I have to figure out a way to put you to sleep." Sasuke opened his eyes and frowned.

"Just use what you use for me." Naruto offered. She immediately shook her head.

"It's too strong. It'll—"

"I can take whatever he can take." Sasuke retorted. She sighed, rubbing a hand down her face.

"You say that now…" She whispered. "Okay. Naruto, take him through the dark red door beside the hallway bathroom. Here," She reached into her medic skirt and grabbed her key. She put it in his outstretched hand.

"The room's locked?" She nodded.

"It's a home care patient room, so I can't really leave it accessible to just anyone." He shrugged, reaching down and hoisting Sasuke over his shoulder.

"I swear to God, Naruto, put me down." Sasuke growled. Naruto headed for the room.

"Alright, Haruno, I'll help him through meditation while you go wash up." She folded her hands together.

"Do _not _touch me, Dobe!"

"It's not my fault your groin is on my—Ah! Don't kick me!" Sakura closed her eyes.

"Please don't break anything of mine, because with Kami as my witness, you both will be slaughtered." She said calmly. They stopped.

"Yes, Sakura."

* * *

><p>"I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back!" Naruto bounded off for the lavatory and left Sakura seated between the two older Chunin. She sat there awkwardly, twirling her finger through some of the loose strands that fell from her hair. Most of it sat in a bun atop her head, the rest outlining her face. Tonight, she chose to wear a red v-neck sweater and black pants. Her heels were low and sensible, and her make-up was light.<p>

She fidgeted in her seat, drumming her fingers across the counter of the bar.

"So…how have you two been?" Izumo stared at her nervously. She stared back. Kotetsu smiled, leaning back in his bar chair. She liked Kotetsu.

"Oh, same ole' same ole'. Hasn't really been anyone interesting popping through the gates. Matter of fact, the last _real_ action we had was when your team came home." He knew it was the wrong thing to say when her attention averted to her fingernails. Izumo noticed too, and reprimanded him by reaching around her and slapping him in the arm.

"Yeah, I heard Konoha was pretty lively, that early in the morning. It was all just a mechanical daze for me." She whispered as Kotetsu waved his hand for a round of drinks.

"So what have you been up to lately?" Kotetsu asked. She looked up at him and blinked, shaking her head.

"Me? Um…Well, I'm taking care of Sasuke, so I haven't really had time for anything else. But the Jonin exams are coming up and I'm considering taking them this time around. But most of the elites are retesting, so I can't lie and say that I'm not frightened. I just _have_ to pass it this year, though. If I get any older, it'd be embarrassing to still be Chunin." She finished with a chuckle. It died in her throat when she noticed the seriousness on their faces. She subtly looked around to see if anyone else would show up. She checked her watch and saw that it was 7:45. Now she knew that Ino could be late, but everyone else? Late? No. Especially not at the same time. At least not Lee. Lee would be early, if anything. Her gaze turned back to the Pub door as Neji walked in. She smiled. "Excuse me," She placed her purse down on the counter and moved out of her chair. She walked near the entrance as Neji met her halfway.

"Hey, green eyes." His hand caressed her arm gently. "How have you been?" It moved back down and squeezed her hand. "You haven't been out lately." She sighed, squeezing back as she moved in closer.

"I know, I know. I've had some…personal issues to take care of. But it's fine now." He smiled.

"How's Sasuke, is he okay?" She nodded.

"He's doing better, but his struggle is far from over. I don't know how Naruto did it, but he broke every bone in Sasuke's right leg, and he had blunt force trauma in his chest which caused an aortic rupture. He should've died, Neji. I don't know what happened out there, but I'm just glad I was able to heal him as adequately as I did. He could've—"

"But he didn't. He's here." He now had a hold of both of her hands. "You were gone for six weeks, chasing your final lead. Sakura, I missed you so much." He nuzzled her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Before you left, we were—"

"Yes, I know." His lips lingered on her nose, and she promptly stood on her tippy toes and crushed her mouth to his. He deepened the kiss, licking her lips as if asking for entrance. Her mouth opened greedily and he pushed into her. Sakura fisted her hands in his black long-sleeve shirt just as his hands sat firmly at her hips.

"Sakura?" Naruto said, appearing from almost nowhere. This was the second time he caught her kissing today.

"Hey Sakura, I thought we were on a date!" Kotetsu said angrily.

"Date? What?" Sakura replied in confusion as Neji pulled away from her, his hands still on her hips.

"Kotetsu, shhhhh!" Naruto exclaimed with a finger over his mouth.

"You didn't tell her?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Tell me what?" Kotetsu moved closer to the two heated bodies.

"That we were on a date." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"We're on a _what?_ Uzumaki Naruto, I swear to Kami—"

"Okay, _Okay!_ I set up a date for you with Izumo and Kotetsu so that they would fill out my admission papers for me. I had to hurry back to see you, Sakura. Just to see if you were okay—"

"A _date?"_ She shrieked. "You offered _me_ up for a _date?"_ Naruto cringed. "How dare—"

"Get your filthy hands off of him, slut." She paused, her hands balled up in fists now. She could recognize that voice from anywhere, and just the sound of it made her blood boil. She saw red flash behind her eyes.

"What did you just call me, bitch?"

* * *

><p><em>Each and every one of you all deserves a baker's dozen of chocolate cupcakes. You've waited for this chapter for a long time, so I made sure it was longer just because of it. Thank you all for staying with me. Also, a revision of chapter 13 is coming, most likely with the next chapter. Stay tuned, and don't forget to review!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	17. Ambivalence

**Ambivalence**

* * *

><p>"Ugh," Her head dropped back down against the arm of the couch. She slowly placed the frozen bag of peas on her cheek. "Ow, Ow, Ow…" She gasped.<p>

"Sakura, just heal it." She sighed, succumbing to the numbness of her angry bruise.

"I can't. I don't want to become dependent on my healing chakra." Naruto frowned.

"Last I checked, you were a medical ninja." It was her turn to frown.

"I am, Naruto, but my body can't grow a dependence on my chakra healing everything. What'll happen when I'm injured and I have none left? The healing will be automatic, so my body will try to squeeze out whatever little chakra I have left. And then I'll either be comatose, or die. I'm already dependent, and it's taking a lot to restrain my body from healing this stupid, stupid bruise." She finished with a sigh. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. He really hated when she lectured him. She could've stopped at 'I can't'. It would've sufficed. He came from around the kitchen wall and placed her mug of tea on the coffee table in front of her.

"Well, you should've never gotten into a fight in the first place." He muttered. She shot up, a scowl on her face, and the bag of peas fell into her lap.

"You were there, she started it! She _always_ starts it!" She shouted, her anger coming back.

"_You_ don't always have to finish it, Sakura! Once, just once, can you walk away from TenTen? Please, for the sake of my sanity, and for the sake of the Village. Kami _knows_ they don't need any more reasons to talk about you, yet you insist on giving them some!" She huffed, turning away from him on the couch.

"Oh please. I wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for you setting me up with Izumo and Kotetsu. Of all people—of _all_ people, you chose Izumo and Kotetsu. The gay guys!" His eyes narrowed.

"First of all, they're _not_ gay. They're just best friends." Sakura pursed her lips unbelievingly. "And second of all, I did it for your sake—"

"My sake—"

"Let me finish, Haruno." He held up a finger and pointed it at her. She frowned. "You were just about ready to slaughter Sasuke where he stood a few weeks ago, so excuse me for trying to rush home to see you! They tried to force me to go through customs, and you know the longer your mission, the more paperwork. I just didn't have the _time_. They asked me to get you a date, and I said yes." He moved to sit on the coffee table in front of her, his hands outstretched, pleading. "Sakura, I'm _sorry._" She shook her head.

"Naruto, you didn't even _ask_ me. I was at a _public_ pub, in the middle of Village square for Kami's sake. On a date, with two men," She held up two fingers. "Then, me, unknowing to this so-called date, went and practically made-out with Neji. Again, in public!" She covered her face in her hands and made a noise of exasperation. "Naruto you know that girl hates me. You just gave her another reason to run her mouth around the Village. You knew about Neji, yet you still…" He ran a hand through his hair.

"Sakura, I thought that was a fling! I didn't—"

"Yeah, Naruto, you didn't. I don't…" She leaned back against the couch and sighed. "I don't know what's happening. I have to deal with TenTen's mouth, along with the talk around the Village. And now everyone's expecting me to just drop Neji because Sasuke's here, and I can't…I can't do that. Sasuke doesn't even know about us. I mean, I barely even know about us." Another sigh.

"Are you going to tell him?" Naruto asked. She rubbed her hand against her forehead.

"No. Neji and I are…I can't…I don't even know what to call it. We're not tied to each other, but—" Hearing a knock on the door, she groaned. She looked around and her gaze stopped at Naruto. His eyes were furrowed. She got up to see who her unwelcomed visitor was. "I don't need Sasuke's thoughts in my conscious, added to the many people who forced their way into it." She gave him a pointed look as she opened the door. "He's expecting me to love him after all this time, and that alone is hard enough. Then, he'll overcomplicate things with Neji when it's already complicated enough, and just—Oh, just please don't tell him about this, Naruto." She turned back to the door and was taken aback as she stared at the tall figure leaning on her doorframe. "Kakashi-sensei?" He nodded, giving her a two-finger wave and his usual eye crinkle.

"Yo. Can I come in? It gets chilly at night, so…" She opened the door wider welcoming him inside. He looked around.

"Sit anywhere." She said. He chose the couch. She shook her head in confusion and closed the door. Walking back to her seat beside him on the couch, she picked up her mug of tea and took a sip. "So, what exactly brings you to my humble abode?" He leaned back, outstretching his legs and folding his arms behind his head.

"Well, I was having a late night drink, minding my own business…" She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I'm buzzed, so I leave. I have a meeting in the morning, and it wouldn't do to piss off Lady Hokage that early, especially since I'm already going to be late, and she's already going to be drunk." He waved his hand, getting off topic. "So, I'm leaving. And as I'm walking down the street, a drunk bastard comes and tells me how my student is getting their ass beat." Her eyes widened. "Now, I didn't think too much of it, seeing that I have three students." He raised three gloved fingers, the fabric cut off at the knuckles. "Sasuke's incapacitated, but I'm sure he wouldn't take getting beat up sitting down. Naruto getting into bar fights is usual, whether he wins or not, so I don't think someone would feel the liberty to come and tell me. Then I thought about my third student, the hothead." He smiled as she frowned, taking another sip of her tea.

"I'm not a hothead…" She grumbled. His gaze turned to the bag of peas in her lap.

"Uh-huh." He stated unbelievably, smacking his lips. "Well, who was it? Had to have been some magician to evade your fists and land a few punches, enough for someone to tell me you were getting beat up." She fumed. Slowly, she lowered the mug from her lips to her lap. Gripping the edges, she inhaled and exhaled.

"It was TenTen again." Naruto said.

"Ah," He tilted his head upward in understanding. "So the bullshit I heard was probably just a paid messenger. A sorry attempt at trying to save face. Everyone already knows how much of a rioter you are." She rolled her eyes as he examined her. "I see how she fared," He nodded at the bag of peas in her lap. She unconsciously touched the numerous bruises on her face. "How did you do?" Naruto sighed heavily.

"Coma." He said. Kakashi's eyes widened. She exhaled and looked to the ceiling.

"Again?" He asked, exasperation evident in his voice. "You fight like such a man, Sakura." He muttered under his breath. He caught her glare.

"It's not even like that." She argued. He narrowed his eyes. "She called me a slut." She murmured the last part. "And I didn't even put her in a coma! I gave her a few taps and the little bitch passed out!" Kakashi sighed.

"Are you a slut, Sakura?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" He rolled his eyes.

"No."

"Oh. Then no." He pulled on strands of his hair, shrugging his shoulders.

"Then stop being so damn sensitive to the word. This is the third time you and TenTen have gotten into it because of that. The both of you fight with each other a lot—no. You just fight a lot period." He said pointing to her. She narrowed his eyes. "You're too old to be irresponsible. Everyone's not out to get you." She scowled, finishing her tea.

"She is." Sakura grumbled. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I know where you're coming from. But you two are comrades. You can't keep fighting like this, especially with the amount of hate you have towards each other. I have to talk to Guy." He yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "And fighting over Neji? Tch." He scoffed. She glared. "Sasuke's here now. Pretty available bachelor if you ask me. Just take him instead—"

"Don't you have a home you can go to? Last I checked this wasn't yours." She snapped. He smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"You see, about that…" She gave him a pointed look.

"I'm waiting." She crossed her arms and sat back as he sighed.

"Well, I was having a late night drink, minding my own business—" She raised a threatening hand.

"Don't do it." She growled. He rolled his eye.

"And these three women tried to seduce me." He finished in more serious tones. He wasn't lying… "I think they tried to get me drunk. Well anyway, their hands were a little too familiar with my body, and I think they made off with a few of my things. Included but not limited to, my wallet, my Jonin ID, my house keys, and some lottery tickets." He finished, counting off with his fingers. She slapped a hand to her forehead. So how, _how_ did he expect to make it to his meeting in the morning without his Jonin ID?

"Baka-sensei, you're too old to be irresponsible." She said sweetly, mockingly. "And I mean that in the nicest of ways." He frowned. Then she rolled her eyes. "Sensei, you can sleep on the couch." His mouth opened in protest. "Naruto already called dibs on the bed and the guest room was made into a care room for Sasuke. He's pretty much under right now, so there's no arguing for that bed. I'll bring out some extra blankets and pillows, though." His shoulders slumped in defeat as she stood. Biting her lip, she turned back around and faced him. Her eyes were pleading and her fingers were folded together. _"Please_ Sensei, if he wakes up and I'm still asleep; don't tell him about what happened tonight."

"Well, what _did_ happen tonight?" She froze as the door to the care room shut, and she heard the familiar noise of his crutches as he hobbled from the hallway to the living room. Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing. Just Sakura and TenTen fighting over Nej—"

"Negotiating a Hospital room!" She blurted out. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed as he slowly lowered himself into the armchair, placing his crutches on the floor. Her head whipped around and gave Kakashi a cold glare. He raised his hands. "I told you not to say anything!" She whispered harshly.

"I thought you meant about your date," He tried to sound innocent, but it failed when a laugh broke through. She turned back to Sasuke.

"What do I need a Hospital room for? I thought the care room was good enough." She waved her hands, trying to quickly think of a response.

Yes, but…" She looked at Naruto. He shook his head. "It's hard for me to heal you standing up; on top of that you're tall. The Hospital will have the necessary materials so it'll be comfortable for us both." She grabbed a hair tie from her medic skirt, combing her hair back with her fingers and putting it in a ponytail on top of her head. "I didn't want you to think that what I have here isn't adequate enough for your proper recovery." He shook his head and waved her away. Now she'd actually have to buy a Hospital suite, and then find the time to bring him out of the house to take him there.

Why were her lies always so complicated?

"But why were you two fighting about it? It's simple; I need it more." She rolled her eyes, opening her mouth in response, but Kakashi cut her off. Again.

"She and TenTen are always fighting." He piped in. She slowly turned around and reached into her medic skirt.

"You just consented to your death, you know that right?" She whispered, low and calm. He blanked, looking into her hands.

"What are you doing with that?" He asked, pointing to the object in her hands. She turned back to Sasuke, subtly hiding it behind her back. "Sakura—" A sharp pain was felt in his thigh, and immediately he felt weak. "What…did you—?"

"The important thing is I got you the room." Sasuke nodded apprehensively. "Naruto, could you go and get Kaka-sensei some blankets and pillows? He looks tired." She finished sweetly. Naruto hurriedly ran to the cabinet in the hallway, in fear of getting stabbed as well. Kakashi's breaths slowed.

"What are you doing up anyway?" Naruto questioned, spreading the blanket over Kakashi's unconscious body and placing a pillow under his head.

"It's morning. I thought that's when everyone woke up." Sasuke said sarcastically. "I know I haven't been in Konoha for long, but I didn't think the whole ante meridiem would change." He smirked. Naruto frowned.

"No, you bastard, it's midnight." It was Sasuke turn to frown. He looked at Sakura.

"You weren't supposed to wake up until morning. I gave you a small dosage, but I see now that it wasn't strong enough." He smirked.

"Give me Naruto's dosage." Her eyes widened.

"I don't remember a Bijuu inheriting your body." She snapped. "He's usually out for weeks—no months, depending on how restless the Kyuubi is feeling. That just means a more dangerous dosage. Dangerous meaning toxic." She didn't need his arrogance or his superiority complex. She's had a long night, and she's had enough of someone trying to best another. In her case, the same scenario in which she was reveling in the fact that she was "with" Neji and TenTen wasn't. She covered her face in her hands, plopping down on the arm of the couch. "Just…eight. I'll try for eight hours, but it's kind of hit and miss when trying to convert dosages into time." She sighed, smoothing her hair back. Her head was in her hands, propped up by the elbows on her knees.

Naruto quickly sensed the tension and pushed himself off of the wall he was leaned against. It was late, anyway. And if he had any chance of sneaking into the meeting in the morning with Kakashi, he needed his rest too. If there was a way he could get his Sensei there on time, dragging his unconscious if need be, then he'd do it.

"Well, I'm going to turn in, Sakura. It's been a long night." She pursed her lips.

"I know what you're bargaining for, Uzumaki. And you do have to pass the Chunin exams before even thinking about taking the Jonin ones. Sitting in on a Jonin meeting doesn't qualify you _at all,_ nor does it make any exceptions. Keep dreaming." He frowned, walking to her room and closing the door behind him.

"Yeah, and sweet dreams to you too, Haruno." He called out. She hummed, her demeanor changing. Naruto was the only one keeping the tension between them at bay. He must've sensed it, apparently, and he left. She knew that Sasuke knew, because she knew that he wasn't stupid.

Looking up, she found him staring at her, his eyes scrutinizing. After a while, she looked away. She didn't know what he was thinking, she never did, but whatever it was, it was judgmental. She…she just couldn't. She had to go.

"I'm gonna…" She stood and stretched, pulling her hair free from its ponytail. She ran both of her hands down her locks, untangling them. Moving, she started for her room. "I'm gonna turn in. I had a lot of drinks tonight, so—"

"Sakura." She stopped, just past the armchair where he was seated. Her eyes closed and her hands fisted in her medic skirt.

"Sasuke, please." He ignored her pleas. He didn't seem to care.

"I thought you and TenTen used to get along." She shrugged her shoulders.

"We still do," She lied. "We argue just like Ino and I argue." He chuckled as she frowned at his careless attitude.

"Well, that poor henge says otherwise, Sakura. That's a nasty bruise you got there." He finished matter-of-factly. She slumped, moving the hair out of her face. "I didn't know you fought like this. I didn't know you and Neji were together either—"

"How is that your business?" She retorted, looking at him through the corner of her eyes. He was taken aback. Then he hummed.

"No, it's not. You're right. But it became my business the second you tried to hide it from me." She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"I'm not hiding it from you. It's just…I don't need another voice in my head telling me what to do. I'm probably the most scrutinized person in the Village right now, just because I'm "with" Neji, and not you. It was just a kiss," She put her hand over her eyes, digging her fingers into her temples. "A stupid, petty kiss. Then feelings got involved and it turned into a fling, which turned into something more, and..." She sighed heavily. "Whatever we have, whatever anyone wants to call it, it's private. And that's a prime example as to why I fight with TenTen. My _private_ life means nothing to her. I'm just another interesting topic at the bath, which she _frequents—_"

"Sakura, I'm not forcing you into anything. You're free to live your life with whomever, and I have nothing to do with that. Why you felt the need to hide it is beyond me. I don't own you, nor do I control your actions." She shook her head fervently, her hands covering her face.

"You can say that to me, but I know it's just a damned lie. You're back, and the whole Village knows it. And it seems like they know more about us than we do. And I _hate_ that." She squeezed her eyes shut. "They have so much to say…According to their rule book, because of me and Naruto's fight, our _struggle_, just to get you home, we're practically supposed to be married right now!" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Married?" She rolled her eyes at his ignorance to it all. He didn't know what went on while he was gone. He didn't know the talk of Sakura and Sasuke. How, when he supposedly returned, they would be reunited, and because of the love they had for each other, would immediately get married. Now, many of those lies were fabricated in her mind, a part of her fantasies, and she knew this. Ignoring him, she went on.

"But I reacted wrong by not taking you in with open arms and by making a scene in the Village Square. Then of course shunning you for so long…So excuse me for my bitterness, but right now I'm failing in their eyes because of my actions. I haven't exactly followed their to-do list. I can't take that weight, Sasuke. It'd be something different if we're together, but I can't even give them credit for hitting close to the mark." She felt the throbbing under her eye now more than ever. She dropped the henge. It was taking up too much of her energy, energy that she already didn't have. Upon seeing it, Sasuke cringed.

"God, Sakura," He whispered. It was bad, she knew. Apparently she added chakra in that punch. The whole left side of her face was swollen, purple, and it hurt like hell.

"I don't know what I'm doing. I can't even pretend like I do, because it's obvious to everyone that I don't. When you came back I distanced myself from everyone. My temper was short and I was always in my 'don't fuck with me' mood. It didn't take rocket science to tell. I have horrible headaches all the time, and this shitload of gray in my hair doesn't always blend nicely with the pink." Grabbing her head in her hands, she bit her lip. "It's so damn _stressing_ to deal with everything at the same time. And you're not helping my case at all." He raised his eyebrows and she threw him a pointed look right back. She hated when he played dumb. He just wanted her to say it. "I don't know how long I'll be with Neji. I just know that when it's over, I won't be enough for you." She inhaled sharply and dropped to her knees. Facing him, she leaned her head on the arm of the chair. She watched him, and he watched her.

It was silent for a long time, and Sakura took this time to just _breathe. _He couldn't accuse her of holding anything back anymore. And the fact that he had nothing to say just added to the burdens on her shoulders. So what exactly did he think? It couldn't be her fault that Sasuke didn't come back in time.

Neji kissed her first.

It was too long, the silence. His eyes were closed now, and her breaths were slower. She was falling asleep. Her adrenaline was finally draining from her body, the events of the day finally catching up with her. She was experiencing the crash. The fatigue right now was unbearable.

"Sasuke." She whispered first. Her body moved of its own accord as her head shifted and rested on his knee.

"You're enough." Was all he said. She lifted her forehead so her eyes could see him. He was staring back at her.

"Sasuke—"

"Sakura, you're enough." Her head dropped again. She sighed.

"You don't understand. I know what you want, Sasuke." She felt him sit up. "You want babies, with little to none emotional attachment at that. You want someone to be able to carry on your family name. I get that completely. But I'm 17, and you don't love me." His mouth quickly opened in protest.

"I—"

"Stop, Sasuke! _Please."_ She's been through this before. She didn't need to hear some calculated answer of his so-called love. She didn't need to hear how she was essential to the continuation of his Kekkei Genkai. Rejection was the last thing she needed. "You only think you love me." She concluded. He tried to speak again. She shot up, pointing a finger at him. "For once, just _listen._" She turned away from him. Looking at his face was unbearable. Especially with that impassive expression of his. "You _need_ to love me right now. You need to make yourself believe that you love me, so that it'll be easier to be with me." A tear fell from her eye unexpected. "I know what real love looks like, Sasuke. I see it all the time with my mom and dad, and I used to think that I felt it for you.

"I would do anything for you back then. I didn't care how many shades of fucked up you were, I didn't care how many times you and Naruto fought, how many times you pushed me away…I kept coming back because I just wanted to _be _with you. I loved you, despite everything, I loved you." She finished with a chuckle. "For me, all of that is gone. I don't—I can't feel that anymore. So Sasuke, answer me this. Is that the kind of love you feel for me? If so, I'll drop everything, just for you. Because I'd like to be in love with someone like that again. For real." Her heart clenched. "But if not, if that isn't the case with you, please, don't pretend for me. Don't let the relationship be based off of lies." Her head moved back onto his knee. He was still, tense and still.

It was silent again.

She closed her eyes, squeezed them shut. She feared his answer, but at the same time, closure would be good for her. It'd be another answer to the questions that she had for the broken, confused boy in front of her.

The silence went on and on, the clench on her heart becoming tighter and tighter with every passing minute. She exhaled in soft, short bursts, trying to regain control over her emotions. She glanced at him, his eyes were still closed. For once, there was an expression on his face. It was conflicted and full of thought.

Well, she'd just leave him to that.

She hurriedly raised herself and took long swift steps to her room. She paused as she got to the door. A part of her couldn't take his lack of an answer. A part of her wanted to turn right back around and wait for him. It's been seven years. He's done enough thinking, and she's done enough waiting. She opened the door to the room.

"Wait for me." He called out to her. She choked out a breath as the tightening clench on her heart released itself.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results."

* * *

><p><strong>9 months later<strong>

"I know I should've gone with you to the tailors."

"Well," She stepped off of the stone walkway and onto the paved ground. "It wasn't even that serious. There was an exchanging of hellos, and then there was the exchanging of goodbyes." Sakura replied, brushing her bang aside.

"Yeah, okay." Ino appeared beside her, the tips of her hair fisted in her hands. They stopped; Sakura's head was forcefully jerked back and pulled closer to the taller woman's body. "Now, you can rephrase your lie into the truth, or I can pull your precious hair out." Sakura panicked.

"Ino, okay, okay!" As she let go, Sakura quickly fixed her hair into a bun on top of her head. "You didn't have to be that extreme, Pig. I'm trying to grow this back." She grumbled, securing her hairstyle with two small pins.

"After all of these years, you still think the Uchiha is into girls with long hair?" Sakura glared.

"That's not funny, Ino." She frowned as small strands fell onto her face. She tucked them behind her ear. "I just want to try something different. I see your hair has gotten longer upon his return as well, Pig." Ino hummed.

"You're horrible at switching subjects. My threat still stands, Forehead." Sakura laughed, raising her arms filled with shopping bags up in surrender.

"Okay, okay." She shrugged her shoulders. "So, _maybe_ a few tears were shed, but that was basically the gist—"

"Sakura! You cried? What did he do?" She pursed her lips.

"Stop yelling, Ino. I haven't been the bath topic for a long time, and I would kind of like to keep it that way." She finished, throwing her a pointed look. Ino sighed.

"Can you tell me what happened? Please?" Sakura exhaled, acquiescing.

"The past is the past for a reason. And every time I'm faced with it, it's like I lose any restriction I had on my emotions."

_**-Flashback-**_

"_Pick-up or drop-off?" A girl behind the counter drawled without looking up from her magazine. Civilian she supposed. She was no older than Sakura, maybe even the same age._

"_Pick-up." Sakura stated, smiling sweetly at her. She grabbed her order book and flipped to a section._

"_Name?"_

"_Uchiha Sasuke." The woman finally looked up, her eyebrows furrowed and a frown plastered on her face._

"_You must be Haruno Sakura, then." Her smile faded. Apparently, her reputation precedes her._

"_Yes, I am." The girl clicked her tongue as Sakura's eyes narrowed. She looked back down at her book and flipped a few pages._

"_Ah, Uchiha Sasuke. The clothes will be ready shortly, if you don't mind waiting." She said, her words saying one thing, but her demeanor showing she really didn't care. Sakura had to complain about their customer service. _

"_Okay, that's fine." Sakura turned on her heel and occupied one of the many seats in the waiting area. The girl said something through an intercom. _

_Then she spotted him._

_The door was transparent, so she could see as far as across the street. Her eyes were wide as she immediately recognized the figure crossing it. 'He couldn't be coming to the tailors…their robes are hand-made especially for them…' She thought. There was a café right next door, a tattoo place, a uniform shop—_

_Uniform shop. He was going to the uniform shop. _

_But she still couldn't take her chances. She moved hurriedly back to the counter. _

"_Um, is my order ready yet? I really have to—"_

"_Now, if it was ready, don't you think you'd have it by now?" She replied icily. Sakura leaned an elbow on the table and massaged her forehead. She didn't need this right now. What she needed was to leave, and this girl wasn't helping her. She must've heard talk about the fight in the Village square, so now Sakura knows her opinion is biased. She could bet this girl didn't even know the half of it. _

_The bottom line was, Sakura didn't want to fight a civilian, and that's exactly what the oncoming headache was bringing her to._

"_Look, you know my name, so you know my fists." The girl visibly shrunk. "Getting into fights isn't anything unusual to me, so I doubt my Shishou would mind one more brawl in the Village Square." She finished, throwing the girl a glare. She pushed through the double doors leading to the back. Sakura exhaled, rapping her fingers on the counter. Her threat spoke volumes. The girl should've hauled ass to bring her the order._

"_I don't like waiting—"_

"_Sakura?" The bell at the door rang as it flung open. She froze._

_Was she the only Sakura in Konoha? She couldn't be sure. There was another person in the waiting room with her, although he was old and his clothes were tattered. He was probably just looking for shelter, this she knew, and she was almost positive that his name wasn't Sakura. _

_She heard the door close and she heard the hasty footsteps taken towards her. Her hands gripped the edges of the counter. Looking out of the corners of her eyes, she quickly calculated an escape route. _

"_Sakura, stop!" _

"_Uh!" She made a dash for the door but was yanked back at the wrist and pulled into someone's arms. She struggled against her perpetrator, but there was that unmoving grip on her wrist that kept her from going anywhere. Not to mention it was tight, and getting tighter each time she tried to move away. _

"_Please, stop." Her punches and pushes became weaker as her body slumped against his. _

"_Neji," She cried. "Don't do this to me." She put her small hand on top of the strong ones that gripped her hands. __**"Please."**_ _He let her wrist go and released her from his embrace. She stumbled, her arms wrapped around her middle, her body doubled over. _

"_Sakura," She shook her head._

"_Don't do this to me, I said!" She was unsteady on her feet as she tried to walk to the door. Three minutes ago he walked into the tailors. Almost a minute later, he'd already made her cry. "I want to leave now. Are you going to let me, or do I have to force myself out?" He appeared in front of the door with lightning fast movement. She knew that if he didn't let her go, it'd be a hell of a fight. She heard the swinging of the double doors from the back._

"_Your order—"_

"_Leave it on the counter; put the price on my tab." Sakura finished. It wasn't long before the girl moved hurriedly back through the doors._

"_Sakura—"_

"_Stop saying my name, please." He sighed, annoyed, as he smoothed his hair back. She stood in front of him, her arms still wrapped around her middle, her gaze on everything but his piercing white eyes. _

"_I just want to talk." She looked up at him now, her eyes were narrowed._

"_Talk? You just want to talk." She scoffed. "Why do you want to talk when you don't have anything meaningful to say?" He closed his eyes. _

"_Why are you doing this?" She was taken aback._

"_Why? Why." She laughed. "Well, why do I have such feelings of regret towards you? Answer me that." He flinched. "I thought as much." She turned, walking back to her counter and wrote her account number on the tab slip. Grabbing the hanger attached to a plastic bag, her fist inflamed with chakra, she walked back to the door with the intent of leaving. _

"_You know how this will end." She did, she did. But her mind wasn't being reasonable as she stalked towards him, swinging her fist back. Bringing it forward, she aimed for his face. "I told you—"_

"_I'm not listening to you!" His hand caught onto her fist, and she pushed more chakra to it. She heard him hiss as it burned his skin. He regained himself quickly and forced her fist back to her sides. _

"_Stop! Just stop!" He shouted. She ripped her fist from his grasp as her eyes narrowed._

"_Why the hell should I, Neji? If you can tell me that, we'll talk! Why should I give you the time of day?" She shouted back. _

"_Because I didn't fuck her!" She froze. "I didn't fuck her, I didn't tease her, I didn't touch—" He stopped. She pointed an accusing finger in his face. _

"_There it is! Not only did you touch her, you bit her, licked her, and you kissed her all over…you __**pleased **__her, Neji. You might as well have fucked her, if you thought that doing all of that would make it better off." She looked away, using her thumbs to wipe the stray tears. "It's been three months, and if this is what you call closure, confronting the problem, then you've got it all wrong, Hyuuga. All you've done is revisited something I've desperately tried to forget about." He rubbed a hand down his face. _

"_I was drunk, Sakura." She shook her head._

"_Yeah, so was I. But me? I went home. What did you do?" She pushed past him, ending their argument. "I'll see you tonight, I guess. I'm glad we had this talk, though." His eyebrows furrowed. "It made me see that it was stupid to cry over you for so long. We weren't even "with" each other. So I shouldn't have gotten so angry, or even held a grudge against you for fraternizing with TenTen. My bad." His expression was one of shock, but she ignored it. She went on, trying to add insult to injury. Her words and his expression made her feel good inside. It made her feel like she was getting back at him. "We weren't…We weren't meant for each other, you know. Neji, I—"_

"_Sakura just shut the hell up for a second!" He yelled. Her head jerked back as he rubbed his shoulder. "You talk too damn much, you know that?" He said with a smile. She frowned. That smile… "It's because of what we were before you and I. TenTen and I were…I don't know, something like you and Sasuke." She scoffed. _

"_Yeah right."_

"_But this was a long time before we got together. She saw that night as an opportunity, just as you saw her birthday as one. She got me drunk, and you got mad at me for dancing with her and left. For a second it was like…we danced and conversed and, and kissed as if we were still together. And I forgot. At that point in time, she made me forget that I still had you, Sakura." She closed her eyes. _

"_Why are you telling me this?" He shook his head._

"_Because I love you, and I lost you." Everything froze. He calculated her movements as he awaited her response. She rapped her fist against her forehead. _

_She didn't hear that._

_It was silent for a long time. She straightened, turning away from the door. He stood and watched her with his expressionless eyes. She took a step forward and lightly pushed his chest._

"_Don't—" She blurted out. "Don't say that." He took the palm that was on his chest and used it to pull her into his arms. "Don't say…" She exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Don't say that—"_

"_Shut-up, Sakura." She stopped again, her forehead leaning against his chest, and her palm in his hand._

"_We weren't meant for each other. You and TenTen were." He placed his chin on top of her head. _

"_I know." She blinked, surprised by his answer. _

"_Your clan heads hate me. I'm brash, I'm impulsive, I have the worst language, I have no patience whatsoever, I'm irrational, I'm gullible, I'll never know my place as a woman, and I don't act like a lady at all…TenTen, she knows how to wear Kimonos and dress traditionally, she can be respectful, I—I can't." She turned her head so that her cheek lay above the place where his heart was. His calm and steady beat soothed her. "You had to sneak me into your compound all the time, whereas she was a welcomed visitor. You deserve her, Neji. You and I both know this. And that's one of the reasons why it was a long three months. I figured out…" She sighed heavily. "I just can't compete with TenTen." He chuckled. She heard his voice resonate throughout his chest. _

"_You can't." Her heart clenched. "There's no contest—you're better for me." She was star struck for the umpteenth time that afternoon. "But after cheating on you, accident or not, I don't deserve you. I tore apart six good months we spent building up. And I'm sorry." His head moved to her neck. "Right now, I should kiss you. I should force you to take me back without another word. And this time, we would actually be together, so I can call you mine. No matter what my clan heads say." He said, pained. "But…" She bit her lip._

"_But you won't." She heard him sigh heavily, shakily. _

"_I'm letting you go. And this moment I'll regret for the rest of my life. I'll be reminded of it every time I see you with someone else." She gripped the hands that held onto hers. "That's your closure, Sakura." Her eyes closed. _

"_Why?" She asked. Where was his closure? There was a pause, and she heard him sigh._

"_If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was." He whispered into her hair. She bit her lip. She'd never understand that saying. It contradicted completely with 'If you find a good thing, hold on to it'. He was giving her time that she didn't want, weight that she couldn't bear, memories she could only regret…_

_He pulled back, holding her at arm's length with his hands on her shoulders. She turned away from his gaze. _

"_So this is it." He smiled sadly. _

"_No. We'll always be comrades, and we're friends. We have that." She pursed her lips, picking up her forgotten clothes and opening the door. _

"_Good-bye, Neji." _

_**-End Flashback-**_

Ino sighed heavily, dropping her bags on the steps leading to the apartment. Placing her hands on her hips, she stared her down. Sakura could only frown.

"What?" Ino rolled her eyes.

"So now what happens with you and Sasuke? Apparently, Neji did this so that when you do move on, you'll think of nothing but going back to him." Sakura scoffed.

"He let me make my own decisions on whether or not I would stay with him. I chose to leave. Do you think he'd really be that selfish as to make me occupy my thoughts of only him—?"

"What's Neji's favorite food?"

"Herring soba, of course," She said without missing a beat. "But I don't see how…" Ino threw her a pointed look. "That _bastard."_ Ino laughed.

"Forgive him, he's male." Sakura rolled her eyes, scoffing. As if that was a justifiable reason. They replaced their shopping bags on their arms and started up the many flights of stairs to Sakura's apartment. "So tonight," She looked over at her.

"Hm?" She said, noncommittally. Ino pursed her lips.

"Are you Sasuke's date? It's only right." Sakura frowned.

"Pig, I just got over a boy three seconds ago, and you want me to, on the same day, go on a date with a different one?" She asked, unbelievingly. With a flip of her hair, Ino rolled her eyes.

"I asked if you would be his date, not have sex with him, Forehead." Sakura blushed. _"Besides,_ Sasuke and Sakura, Sakura and Sasuke, everyone knows the history between you two. He can't blame you if Sasuke pounced the first opportunity he had. Neji's far from blind; he saw how Sasuke acted when the both of you were always together." She pursed her lips, thinking.

"I doubt Sasuke's even the pouncing kind when it comes to relationships. He may be graceful in battle, but he's awkward when it comes to girls. He's dealt with men practically his whole life, and he's missed the whole puberty and hormones thing." She finished with a chuckle.

"Well he'll get his first lesson when he sees the outfit I got you for tonight." Ino said giddily, shaking some shopping bags. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Ino—"

"You lost the bet. A deal's a deal." She sighed in defeat. "And at least give it a chance." She started, waiting at the door for Sakura to fish out her keys. "Even the dickhead has a date; it'd be sad for everyone to see Naruto with one, and Sasuke without one." She sighed, jostling the key in the lock and pushing the door open.

It _was_ his party.

Since Sasuke's road to recovery began, he's been holed up in the apartment, leaving once every other week to go to the Hospital, and getting fresh air as far as the back of their complex. He hasn't actually been able to go anywhere on his own, considering his heavy cast and his crutches making him practically immobile, and the fact that last time he was allowed to walk around freely there was his near-death accident.

So okay, it was her fault, but they didn't want to push their luck from anyone else getting any ideas.

He's only been in touch with his original team and the Hokage, vaguely Neji and Ino. But since he was now off of his cast and into something more mobile, they could finally celebrate his coming home, the Konoha 11.

They dropped their bags and shoes beside the door and walked into the kitchen.

"Tea?" Ino shrugged. To say that she was excited was an understatement. Sasuke was…he wasn't as out of touch as he was before. He could laugh, he made jokes, he smiled. But that didn't mean he wasn't still broody, impassive, cocky, and all the other things that made up Sasuke. He just had some work to do. She put some water in the kettle and turned on the stove. Her hand hovered above it, and when it was hot enough, she placed the kettle down. "How's Hatsuharu?" She frowned.

"He's _so_ superficial," She whined. Sakura smacked her lips.

"You're superficial." Ino rolled her eyes.

"Yeah but, I like romance, too." Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Um…Hatsuharu's the Interrogator right?" Ino's hands flew up in annoyance.

"_No,_ he's the Anbu one."

"Oh."

"Captain,"

"_Oh,"_ No wonder he was superficial, he had every right to be. She once peeked over her Sensei's shoulder as he looked over his check for a mission he'd completed. She didn't bother looking past the second comma, and to think that was just a mission. Imagine what his actual monthly paycheck looked like… "How old is this one?"

"24," Ino finished nonchalantly. Sakura frowned.

"He's too young for it to be just for the money. Did you have sex yet?" Ino snorted.

"What are we, 16? That's like asking if you had sex with Neji. Six months? He probably fucked you raw—"

"Um, we didn't." Ino paused. Her eyes were narrowed as she studied the girl in front of her.

"_What?"_ She exclaimed in disbelief. Sakura sighed.

"Neji and I didn't have sex." She stated more firmly.

"So what did you do when you snuck into his compound? Giggle all night and talk about boys? Geez, I knew Neji was patient, but I didn't think he was _that—"_

"That was my decision." Sakura stated, defending him. Ino massaged her temple.

"So you literally _slept_ with him? Have you seen the body of that man? I could only imagine…" Sakura frowned. "Oh stop it, Sakura. You act like such a virgin." Ino finished, laughing.

Silence.

"Sakura, no!" She yelled, slapping her hands over her face. "You're a _virgin?!"_ Sakura ran to her, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Shhhhh! Naruto and Sasuke are here, and I don't want them knowing my business!" She retorted. Ino struggled free.

"What business? You don't have any! You're a vir—!"

"_Ino!"_ The hand returned to her mouth.

"Kami, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were so sensitive about it." Sakura slowly walked back to the tea kettle and took it off the stove. She then started to prepare the tea. "Tch, virgins." Sakura's hands fisted at her sides.

"You have one more time, or I swear to Kami—"

"Is everything alright? I heard yelling and I didn't want Ino to get hurt." Naruto appeared in the kitchen, smirking. He stood beside Sakura. Ino threw him a glare.

"Oh shut-up, foxy. As if I can't hold my own against Billboard Brow over here." She finished, scoffing. Sakura's eyebrow twitched. Smoothing her vibrant green sundress, she closed her eyes as her hands gripped her shoulders, to keep them from launching at her neck.

"Understand that you're my sister, Ino, but I'm not afraid to put you in your place when you've overstepped boundaries." Sakura stated calmly. "I'm trying to refrain from starting a fight, because I'd hate to have to embarrass you in front of company." Ino was taken aback and stood abruptly.

"Put me in my place? And what happened the last time you tried that, Forehead?" She retorted icily.

"A tie, as always. But that was before I could control my fists." It was a stare down between the two, both sets of fists balled at their sides. Naruto stepped in.

"Kunoichi, Kunoichi, _please._ I know I'm lovely, but there's no need to fight over me—"

"Shut the hell up!" They yelled in unison. Naruto backed out of the kitchen, his two hands raised in surrender.

"Well, what's happening out here?" They heard a voice before the noises began. The footsteps were distorted. It was the sound of Sasuke's heavy cast as he limped into the kitchen. "Whatever's happening, can it stop? I was trying to sleep before your petty cat fight started." Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. Ino stood her ground.

"I don't know how you were sleeping with boy beast in your room." She argued. Naruto glared at her.

"For your information, we were _talking,_ Ino-pig." She bared her teeth at him.

"_You_ were talking, I was napping." Sakura laughed behind her hand. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed.

"So you didn't hear anything I said? It was important!" Sasuke shrugged, hobbling over to a seat at the kitchen table.

"Sleep is important as well. And that on a scale with your rambling, well, I think you know what won out." Naruto, flustered, started muttering under his breath as Sasuke struggled to get his now heavy leg elevated. Ino rolled his eyes at him.

"As strong as you are, you can't get your leg on a chair? Stop being a little puss—"

"Ino, Get out." He stated, pointing out of the kitchen and towards the door. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Ha!" Naruto exclaimed, glee in his eyes. She was in front of him in an instant, his feet dangling off of the ground as she held him up in her fists by his lapels.

"What's funny, kitten?" He shook his head fervently as he saw the evil gleam in her eyes.

"N-Nothing, Ino-chan," He stuttered sweetly. He was dropped back into his chair.

"I thought as much. See you tonight, Forehead." Naruto stared on in awe at how the two women who were previously about to rip each other's heads off, were now friends again. Then he figured the word 'women' explained it all.

"Hey, is Hatsuharu coming?" She called out. Ino paused at the door.

"Surprisingly, yes. Enjoy your new clothes!" She finished, slamming the door behind her. Sasuke glared at it.

"You're such a bitch, Dobe." He said shaking his head. Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"I had to be threatened. You took being called a pussy sitting down, Teme." He retorted in triumph. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Then he turned back to Sakura.

"_So,_ when can I get this thing off?" He asked, frowning, ignoring Naruto's comment.

"Tonight. I picked up your brace after I came from the tailors." His eyebrows furrowed.

"And what did you get from the tailors?"

"Your suit." He groaned.

"Do I have to wear it?" She rolled her eyes, as if talking to a child. In retrospect, he might as well have been one.

"I thought the Uchiha clan was a smart one…" She muttered under her breath. He glared. "It's a black tie event, so of course." She drawled.

"Can't I just wear the standard Shinobi uniform? It'd be more comfortable for me and my leg," He said, trying to pull the injury card.

"For starters, you don't even have standard Shinobi wear. Do you _not_ remember your absence for seven years?" He frowned.

"I can lend you mine," Naruto added in. Her head whipped around to face him.

"That'll work—"

"No, it won't." She bit out. He sighed again.

"Then I'll just wear my clan—"

"No!" She exclaimed. _"God! _Uchiha Sasuke, you will wear nothing but the suit _I_ bought for _you,_ and _I_ got tailored for _you,_ tonight!" He pursed his lips, looking on in thought. It was a little over a minute before he decided to say anything more.

"Hn. Then I guess I'll just have to get a rain check on this event." She slapped a hand against her forehead, hard.

"It's _your_ party!" He looked away. Then, he sighed heavily.

"I suppose I don't have a choice now." She rubbed her forehead as a headache threatened to split her head in two.

"You _never_ had a choice, Sasuke." She drawled. He shrugged his shoulders. Sakura deviated from the topic before she killed him. "So, Uzumaki, date?" He nodded, his cheeks tinged pink.

"Yeah, I asked Hinata. I'm supposed to be picking her up." A smile erupted on her face, which quickly turned into a frown when she remembered her Sensei.

"Did you hear anything from Kakashi-sensei?" His face lit up.

"Oh! We're supposed to go get him too, just in case he forgets, which he will." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Then I guess we'll be leaving a little early. I'll go get washed up."

* * *

><p>She bent over, searching through the many clothes and shoes in her closet.<p>

"I can't…find…" She huffed, pulling aside uniforms and dresses.

"Find what?" Sasuke asked as he appeared in the doorway to her room. She held up various pairs of heels.

"My shoes—Ah! Here they are!" She threw some low-heeled shoes on the bed. Turning to face him, her eyes widened. Her hands flew over her chest. "Couldn't you have knocked?" He shrugged, shirtless himself.

"The door wasn't closed. It seemed like an open invitation to me." She rolled her eyes and found her robe, fastening it at her middle.

"I still believe in privacy, you bastard." He rolled his eyes.

"It's just bras and panties. Just breasts and ass." She narrowed her eyes.

"_My _breasts, _my _ass." He raised his eyebrow.

"Sakura, you don't have breasts, so what are you trying to hide?" She tightened her arms around her chest.

"I do so!" She argued. He shrugged his shoulders. She huffed grabbing her robe from off of the bed and tightening it around her waist. She went back into the closet.

"Now what?" His only view was her rear end peeking out from the abundance of clothes gathered in her closet.

"A dress…No wait…this one!" She held up a long evening dress. He frowned.

"Sakura, this is a party, not graduation." She glared at him. "Why don't you just wear what Ino bought you?"

"Have you _seen_ what Ino bought me?" She replied, giving him a pointed look. He sighed.

"There are a lot of things I can say about Ino, most of them inappropriate and rude." She raised her eyebrows. He smacked his lips. "She knows how to dress, so I suggest you take her advice. I don't want you to look horribly out of place, especially since you're my date." He finished with a small smile. She exhaled deeply, and then turned back into the closet to replace the dress.

"You're probably—" Her head whipped back around. "Wait, what?" He took a seat in the armchair beside him. He smirked, placing his face in the palm of his hand propped up on his elbow.

"Date. You're my date." Her eyebrows furrowed as she walked away from the couch.

"I don't hear a question." He closed his eyes.

"Sakura, you're my date." She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes in exasperation.

"Sasuke, I know you defected early on, but I'm almost positive you were present for sentence structures back at the academy." He frowned.

"Was it clear to everyone _but_ you that you were already my date for tonight? Because if that's the case, then I feel like there doesn't have to be a proposal for anything. It would be apparent to everybody that we're arriving to the party as a couple." She ran a hand through her hair. Smartass.

"Obviously not everybody because it wasn't apparent to me. I think I'm the most important factor in this couple, seeing as though you haven't asked me yet." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And for your so-called "couple" to work, there has to be two agreeing parties involved, and so far, you've only gotten one." The smug look plastered on his face was now wiped clean off and replaced with a frown. His frown turned into a grimace as he averted her gaze.

"…" He sighed heavily.

"I didn't hear that." She said, pulling her ear. His eyes narrowed.

"You know..." He finished my mumbling something unintelligent under his breath.

"Spit it out, Uchiha." He frowned again.

"Will you be my date?" He muttered under his breath. She gave him a cheeky grin.

"Of course, Sasuke-kun." He sighed again, massaging his temple. She picked up the bags Ino left for her from beside the door and peered inside. The first bag had a shoe box in it. She slowly peeled it from its bag and opened the box. "Oh no," She gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at the shoes.

The six-inch platform pump shoes.

She pulled one out and threw it at Sasuke. His mouth formed an 'o' as he examined it.

"This is nice." He cooed. She frowned.

"You like those?" She asked incredulously. He turned and stared at her.

"You don't?" She rolled her eyes.

"I'll kill myself!" He shook his head, laughing.

"If you can walk in ceremonial shoes, you can walk in these. Besides, you're a tad bit small, so these'll make you seem taller." He frown turned into a scowl.

"No one asked you to bring my height into this." She grumbled. He chuckled softly.

"Only stating the obvious here. Now let's see the dress." She dropped the shoe bag and pulled the other one from her arm and looked inside.

"Kami, if this is what she bought for me I can only assume as to what she's wearing." His interest was piqued.

"And what's that?"

"Nothing at all." He blinked and she blinked. She blinked again and he was at her side, tugging on the bag in her hands. "What are you—?"

"Let me see it." She tugged back, ripping the bag from his hands. His eyebrows raised at the amount of strength she exerted.

"Out," She pointed to the door. "Let me get changed; you'll see it then." He sighed checking the watch on his wrist.

"It's 5:30, the party starts at 7." He stated. She threw him a pointed look.

"We have to pick up Naruto _and_ Kakashi." He rolled his eyes, walking back towards the door.

"Good point." He closed it behind himself. She exhaled and pulled the dress out of the bag. Holding it up, her eyes narrowed.

The dress was nude in color, and the parts of it not covering her chest, ass, and vagina were sheer. It was sleeveless and stopped mid-thigh, the scoop-neck collar at her clavicle. Sakura rubbed the fabric between her fingers, and upon pulling it found that it stretched like spandex. Meaning it would conform to her body.

Meaning she wouldn't be breathing tonight.

She shirked off her robe, sighing. She had an inkling as to how tonight would end. It would turn out how every party after the Spring Festival went.

Bloody, or in tears.

Either way, there wasn't a good outcome for her, and she didn't like that. This was Sasuke's celebration, and she was going to ruin it. Why? Because Konoha 11 was invited. The Konoha 11 included Team Guy. Team Guy included Neji, and if Neji was making an appearance, then TenTen would surely be right by his side.

Closure meant nothing if she still had to face him almost six hours afterward. In fact, that's not even closure, that's 'I know it's not enough time to dwell on what happened, but anyway, see you later'. Not to mention she now had to deal with Sasuke. There was no other way to explain except that men were like dogs. They marked you as if marking their territory. But once you're marked, there's always another dog that once to contend with you. You may win, but after a while, your mark fades. At that point, the contending dog will pounce. She didn't know if all of this was a very accurate interpretation, but it explained her dilemma.

Right now, Neji's mark has faded, and Sasuke has started to pounce.

The party was planned almost a month ago, and ever since then she's been asked if she and Sasuke would match. "Why would we match?" Was the question she always asked, and she always got the answer, "Because you're dates." How everyone could know that they were dates before she even knew, a month before the fact, was beyond her. She ignored them all; of course, they were just nameless ninja who were invited outside of the Konoha 11. But then it started spreading the Konoha 11. Now, she could ignore even them, but she couldn't ignore Sasuke. He'd already claimed her as his date. _'I'll be reminded of it every time I see you with someone else.'_ Neji said. And somehow, he knew. He knew about Sasuke before she even knew about Sasuke, but now she knows about Sasuke and she doesn't know what to do.

To Sakura, they were friends. Friendly friends. Friendly friends who walked in on the other changing, walking around shirtless trying to swoon the other with their 'manliness', and trying to prove themselves to be a badass by fixing something that wasn't broken in the first place, thus breaking it. He knows what he's doing, and he's doing it on purpose. And not that she minded, it was just…It was fine that it was mediocre because Sasuke still had an adolescent mind and he hasn't had enough experience or time to grow out of it. It was just that his stunts have made her fond of him, and that's what she didn't like. Almost a year ago she told Naruto she just wanted to be friends with him, and now look. He was growing on her. An even longer time ago, he told her that he wanted to love her.

So is this it?

Is this Sasuke's attempt at trying to win her over? If so, she didn't know whether or not it was working. She didn't have the time to digest it. _That's_ what she doesn't like. Time. She didn't even have it. She's most definitely didn't have the patience to be put through the motions by Sasuke again. She didn't want to hang herself out to dry, and she wouldn't. Tonight…she had a feeling that tonight was where it would all unfold.

Her scale was leaning towards 'drop dead' than going to this party right now.

So they were going to be on a date, so to speak. Now, she knew that she and Sasuke's definitions of date varied from each other. So what exactly would this date entail for them? What did he expect her to do? Hold hands? Sit beside each other? If that was the case she could forgive him because he still had the romantic mind of a 12 year-old. Her mind was overreacting with what could possible happen on this date of theirs, the different scenarios running through her mind. But she just wanted to be prepared for every possible outcome. She felt like if she accepted Sasuke's passes at her, then he would kiss her. Many of the scenarios ended up like that. When he kissed her, Neji would find her and try to kiss her, saying that leaving her was a mistake, and then TenTen would find _them_ and make a scene, Sakura would hit TenTen, they would begin to fight, Naruto would break it up, Kakashi would pull her aside to talk, and then Kakashi would then take her home. That ending was also in many of the scenarios. All she had to do is prevent Neji from getting drunk. But this was an inaccurate scenario, mostly because the restaurant and bar they were going to had drinks, and the drinks were free. If Neji found the drinks, then the train wreck of a night would really begin. Stay close to her teammates would be playing it safe. Stay away from Neji. Or, to prevent it all from happening, she could pull out the 'just friends' card on Sasuke and keep the relationship platonic. Then he couldn't kiss her, right?

Who was she kidding? When Sasuke wanted something, he got it. End of discussion.

She plopped down onto the bed and laid spread eagle, huffing in annoyance. How many hours ago was it that she talked with Neji? It couldn't be many. And with her feelings for him still brooding, she wouldn't want that to affect a relationship she could have with Sasuke. Not to mention it's only been three months. Three months that she's spent with Sasuke, the standby confident. He was there when Neji cheated on her; he was there through her tears, her moods, and her recovery stage. And she appreciated him. Did he want her? No, the question was, did _she_ want him? He could want her, or she could be horribly confused. Him asking for her as a date could just be for lack of another female counterpart that he knew that could stand him, or in Sakura's case, forced by law to stand him.

This wasn't her party, and she wasn't going to ruin it with her terrible misconceptions. Assuming something that wasn't. Keeping it platonic was the plan, she supposed. Save face. She'd allow him to make the first move which he _never_ did. And when that happened, she could make the appropriate countermove. There was going to be hundreds of ninja there, and ninja _loved_ to talk. She refused to make a fool out of herself in front of them. She could already hear what they would say about her flub. 'Uchiha Sasuke rejecting Haruno Sakura..._again.'_ The plan included staying close to her teammates and staying away from Neji, but now she would probably have to add Sasuke to that avoid list. The invisible boundaries she's constructed for herself have faded. And all of that could be due to the 180 degree transformation he went through. Sasuke was Sasuke, but he wasn't…Sasuke.

He laughed, and she's never _ever_ heard a laugh coming from Sasuke that didn't have a sarcastic undertone to it, or wasn't at the expense of anyone else. He smiled, and he didn't try to down everyone he met with his 'I'm better than you, bow to me' talk. But all this was a setup from the beginning, this she knew. And it started the night she told Sasuke she would be with Neji, and not with him. He waited for her, Uchiha Sasuke waited for her. But she didn't...she couldn't face rejection again. She wouldn't. Sighing again, she sat up and fisted the dress into her hands.

Fool her once, shame on him. Fool her twice…

He could never give her what she wanted. And he knew this. In the end, it was just what Sasuke wanted that mattered, and he would do whatever it took to get it. That, that was the one thing she knew wouldn't change upon his return.

She would just have to remind herself that she could fuck up some other night, but tonight wasn't hers. Standing, she pulled the dress above her head and slipped her arms into the sleeve holes. She could already feel the material as it clung to her breasts. It wasn't as tight as she thought it would be, and at least it allowed her to breathe. She pulled it over her stomach and down to where it stopped at her thighs.

It was beautiful, this dress, and while it showed most of her midriff and all of her back through the sheer material, it wasn't at all whorish as she thought it would be. The dress was nude, so it blended completely to her creamy skin, and the parts above her privates were just a darker shade of that. Beige. Well done, Ino-Pig. Now she just had to focus on not tripping over herself and falling on her butt in those heels.

She slipped her foot into them one by one. They were black, and while she had nothing but a black studded clutch to match, they contrasted beautifully with her nude dress. She experimentally took a few steps around the room and stopped at the mirror.

Her _ass._

The bane of her body's existence. The dress was so tight, every curve, from the small of her back forming her buttocks, was shown. If she could just evenly proportionate her butt with her breasts, she'd be fine. But everyone wasn't blessed like Ino, or her mother, or even her Shishou.

She sighed, pulling on a string of her bubblegum pink hair. She was growing it out, so it stopped mid-upper arm now. But she would wear it up until it got longer, so she decided on a bun for tonight. She grabbed some pins off of her nearby nightstand as she fastened her hair. When that was done, she reached into a drawer and pulled out a large jewelry box. This one held their team accessories, given to them by Kakashi-sensei after Sasuke left. She never gave them to Naruto, and she never even wore hers herself, but Kakashi was never without his. It was a simple silver chain that went around her neck, so she would choose diamond earrings to match. Not a lot of makeup matched her eyes, so she settled on mascara, and a light pink lipstick to match her hair. It was warm out, so she wouldn't need a coat.

She finished just as she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," She called out, fussing with the shorter strands of hair that refused to comply.

"Hn," Sasuke muttered as she turned to face him, her lips pressed together.

"That's all you can say?" He rolled his eyes and walked towards her.

"You look nice, Sakura." She snorted. It was no better, but it was enough she supposed. She took the time to examine what he was wearing, a beige dress shirt. Ino was a genius. Apparently all of their shirts would be beige in color matching her nude and beige dress. How did she know their team color? The magician that woman was.

"Sakura-chan, you're beautiful!" Naruto bounded through her room door, Hinata in tow. She smiled at him and nodded at Hinata.

"Thanks, Naruto." He and Sasuke were dressed the same, black suit, black skinny tie, beige dress shirt and black dress shoes. He looked nice for a change, especially to be out of that orange. "I thought we were supposed to be picking you up." He shrugged.

"Sensei's apartment is a straight shot from here; it would've been out of the way. We need all of the extra time we can get, assuming that he hasn't even showered yet." She rolled her eyes in agreement. Naruto's attention quickly deviated back to Hinata as he followed Sakura's gaze.

"Hinata, you're gorgeous." She smiled brightly at his compliment. Sakura nodded.

"Were your team colors gray?" She nodded, looking flustered.

"Yes, but I don't know if Shino-kun or Kiba-kun will comply with the dress code. He's not really fond of clothes without high-collars, and Kiba's more of a 'rough around the edges' type of guy. Hopefully my pleading convinced him." She finished, looking to the ceiling. Sakura admired her dress, a stunt pulled by the taller Hyuuga woman. Hinata favored baggy clothing, and that in abundance, so to see her out of that was a surprise to Sakura. She wore a long strapless dress, studded in gray rhinestones and a slit that started at her knees and got larger as it ran down her leg.

"Are they going to meet us on the way?" She shook her head.

"They're with their dates." Sakura sighed. Team 7 was probably the only team to date within itself, even Ino moving on from Shikamaru. Sakura looked at the forgotten jewelry box on her nightstand.

"Oh, right. Here," She opened the box and Sasuke and Naruto moved in. They saw the remaining two necklaces. Naruto picked one up and examined it.

"What's this?" He clasped it around his neck. Sasuke did the same. She closed the jewelry box and put it back into its drawer.

"Kakashi was supposed to give these to us after you were released from the Hospital, but you know, Sasuke left, then you left, then he gave them to me, and then he left." She finished. She saw the solemnness on their faces. "Anyway, it's a team gift. It shows togetherness." Sasuke checked his watch.

"Well, it's 6:00, and if we're planning on getting to the venue any time before the party ends, I suggest we go get Kakashi now before he falls into a deep sleep." She rubbed her forehead.

"I doubt we can do anything to stop that."

* * *

><p>He emerged from his room, fully dressed. She smiled brightly.<p>

"That's better." He sighed in relief. "Look, you even brushed your hair." She moved forward and plucked a strand from his head. Sasuke checked his watch again.

"7:15," She frowned, rubbing a hand across her forehead. It was all she could do to keep her anger at bay.

"We have to get out of here before I break something." She stalked out of the door, Kakashi the last one out with his keys dangling from his hands. He was getting ready to lock the door, but he saw how it sat on its hinges.

"How exactly did you all get in here?" Naruto pointed to Sakura. Kakashi sighed, replacing his keys in his pocket. He was going to get an earful from his landlord. They walked down the steps onto the street. He was almost slaughtered when they arrived. He was asleep in his towel on the couch, taking a nap like any old person would do. The difference between him and any old person was probably the fact that he fell asleep with the sole purpose of forgetting the party. But they should've at least given him the benefit of the doubt...he'd showered. The first time he got changed, he wore shirt top. It emulated a suit; the dress shirt, bow tie, and suit jacket all in graphic detail. Then Sakura threatened to break something on his face, and he couldn't do anything but hold her threat in the upmost seriousness. "I can't believe I almost got jumped by my own students." He bore holes into Sasuke and Naruto's backs in front of him. Then, he turned and glared at the unknowing Sakura. "Does the Shinobi code mean nothing to you people...?" He muttered underneath his breath.

"You're the one who made us late in the first place, so I feel you were deserving of whatever was brought upon you." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"That can't be my fault; I've had a loss of sleep lately, so I just laid down for a short nap—"

"Save the bullshit for someone who might believe it. Maybe the women you'll be with tonight?" He oohed, placing a hand over his heart.

"Come on, you know that's not bullshit." She looked up at him.

"And what's that? A swollen eye for bullshit sympathy? Makes you look like a bitch to me." He frowned this time, her comment actually stinging.

"Just a little extra fluid in my eye to keep it closed for tonight. No bull." He held up his hands. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm really starting to think you're stupid, Sensei." He sighed.

"I've done it before—"

"That doesn't make it okay." He rolled his eye.

"Besides, it's only visible to the medical eye. I didn't want to wear my hitai-ate tonight, and I don't think it's fair that Sasuke can turn his Sharingan off willingly." She smacked her lips together.

"Maybe it's because that's his bloodline trait. Just a thought." She replied starkly. He frowned. "Think of how many times that thing saved your life. Just a small suffering given to you considering it was stolen—"

"It wasn't stolen. Does anyone believe me? It was a _gift._"She rolled her eyes, not believing him for one minute.

"Compare it to the many sufferings your students have had to put up with. And still put up with. Who do you think should be crying? I think you should count yourself lucky if you ask me." He wasn't crying... He shook his head, figuring on a change of subject. He couldn't win in this one, and he was only digging himself further and further into the hole she created for him.

"Where are we going?" He exhaled, quickly changing the topic before she really laid him out. He ignored the looks she was giving him.

"Umami," She said. His eye widened.

"You mean that immensely large, expensive bar and restaurant?" She nodded. He started patting his pockets.

"Well, Sakura-chan, you might just have to spot me this time—" She rolled her eyes.

"It's paid for all night, Kakashi-sensei. Shishou bought the whole place out so that all Shinobi could celebrate. Warm them back up to Sasuke." He nodded. Smart move, but he didn't think free beer could change most minds about traitors. She looked up at him.

"Anyway, I thought this was just a 'my team' thing." She turned away from him, sighing.

"No. Originally it was just supposed to be the Rookie Nine, but Naruto felt that wasn't fair because Neji and Lee were with us when we tried to save Sasuke as well. It would be downright dirty to omit them." He noticed how she didn't say TenTen's name. "Even Gaara and his siblings are coming." He grinned under his mask. If it was an all call for Shinobi, that meant the drinks would come in abundance. He couldn't forget the lounge…the place was expensive for a reason.

His grin slowly turned into a frown, remembering her words. All Shinobi meant Neji, and Neji meant TenTen. TenTen meant fighting, and fighting meant he would have to get involved. Him getting involved ultimately meant a night of free liquor ruined.

If he could just keep Neji from finding Sakura…

* * *

><p>"God, Sakura, just look at you!" Sakura blushed as Ino ran up to her, taking her in a bear hug. She couldn't see how that was possible; the running that was, in the high, high heels Ino was donning at that moment.<p>

"I underestimated you, Ino. Now, has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you are?" She flipped her hair back.

"Of course!" They both laughed. "My team colors were red, so…" And she did the red justice. She wore a dark red halter tube top that stopped right below her breasts so her stomach was shown. She wore a long, sheer skirt that had ripples in it and was black in color. It started right above her belly button and left nothing to the imagination. Her long legs were on preview beneath the skirt, the only thing separating everyone in the room from her panties was the short leather shorts she wore underneath. Her lipstick was red as well, something Sakura thought she herself could never pull off. "So what are you doing?" Sakura's eyebrows furrowed.

"I lost Sasuke and Naruto, so I guess i'll have to go find them again." She watched as Hatsuharu moved through the throng of people to catch up with his girlfriend. "Do you think you could stay with me until I—"

"I'll meet up with you later, Forehead!" And before she knew it, Ino was waving at her as she was pulled onto the dance floor. She was left, standing in the middle of nameless ninja she didn't think she knew.

She panicked.

It didn't warrant a call over the loud speaker, she'd just have to think of the many amenities Umami provided, and then the most likely place Sasuke and Naruto would be. There was a lounge with dancers, and she didn't know about Sasuke just yet, but that's where Naruto would be.

She set off trying to find the lounge, but in order to do that, she had to know where she was. All she saw was people, and Sasuke was wrong. While the heels gave her height, she could barely see over the heads of the people beside her. She turned on her heels, and bumped right into someone.

"Green eyes."

That voice.

Her heart almost gave out. She smiled, despite her inner conflictions. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she reached up and pecked his cheek. She could do friendly, she thinks. It was easy. They were friends, after all. Quoting him, comrades. She was built for small talk.

"The Hyuuga finally shows," She said with mock amusement. He chuckled.

"You showed up to the party 30 minutes late." She shrugged.

"I can't be blamed for that. I had to pick up my Sensei, and he's chronically late." She finished with a roll of her eyes. "Where is he by the way? I haven't seen him since we walked in." It was Neji's turn to roll his eyes.

"Last I saw, he and Guy-Sensei were throwing back shots at the bar." She sighed, remembering telling him specifically not to get drunk. But she found her escape route, and she intended on using it.

"I guess I should go save him then—" She took a step in the opposite direction but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. She closed her eyes, turning away. Her body language, her voice, her smile, all of it fake. Today was the first day in three months since they've talked, the supposed closure he gave her. She doubted she could ever act the same towards him with their past looming over her head. So, this would just have to do for now. Naruto was middle ground, so if he would've sensed the importance of tonight, he would've stayed with her and prevented…this. But he didn't. He's off somewhere dancing with Hinata or a stripper, and she's standing in front of a reminder of her past.

Great.

"A dance?" She faced him and returned his desperate attempt at mending things with a small smile.

"I would, but I really have to find my teammates." He raised his eyebrows.

"I know you have two left feet, but—" She raised her hands. He was tempting her. He was always tempting her.

"Whoa. You've only seen me dance at the Festival, and I was drunk." He laughed.

"Fine, then prove me wrong." She raised an eyebrow, pulling him to the dance floor.

It was probably the worst thing she could do at that moment, but being surrounded by drunkards made you act like one.

He moved his grasp from her wrist to her hand and twirled her around. If he was trying to make her embarrass herself, she wasn't going for it. She kept steady; each time she turned locking her eyes with his. On the last twirl, he pulled her body to his in a swift movement and she gasped in surprise.

They were frozen.

It could stop there or they could keep going, depending on who made the next move. The question was, who would make it first? She closed her eyes and felt the rhythm pulse through her body from the loud base of the music. As it coursed through her, she moved in time with it, swaying her hips against his body. His hands traveled from her back to her waist, following along with her movements. She ran her fingers from the fabric of his dress shirt to his hair, running her fingers through it, maneuvering from his back up to his neck and they stayed there. His head went to her neck and she felt ghostly kisses being placed along her throat, but she didn't care. She cared about this dance, finishing her dance. This was her closure.

His kisses were more hastened now, and she moved her neck to give him more access as his lips travelled to her collarbone. Their bodies moved together to the beat, grinding against each other. They cared nothing about anyone else, it was just them now, and this was Sakura's dance. His tongue tasted her skin, tracing it back to her lips, and paused there.

The music stopped, and her eyes opened.

He was staring back at her, his eyes full of want and need, and just _everything._ She wanted to forget what he did, she wanted to forget about TenTen, and just have _him,_ but she remembered herself. Her hands slipped from his neck. He felt the tension build when she took a step back, regret on her face.

"Sakura—"

"Thank you for the dance, Neji." He stopped her from walking away again, pulling her body back to his. The music slowed.

"Sakura, stop." He held onto her upper arms, searching her eyes. "I've done so many wrong things in my life and I know that if I let you go now, that'll be added to my list of regrets. Forget Sasuke, forget TenTen, forget _everything._" She shook her head, reminding herself of her resolve. If she broke now…she couldn't give him her all anymore. It wasn't in her. He broke her trust, he _cheated_ on her… They couldn't continue. Not with the reminder of what he did weighing on her.

Not with the fear of him doing it again. It would kill her.

She shook her head more firmly this time. It wasn't…She had to find Naruto, and she needed a drink in her system. Apparently the train wreck of a night has begun. He swallowed, nodding. Then he took her hand, and immediately she tried to snatch it away.

No. No more dances.

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow her, do you?" Sasuke appeared, a hand on Neji's shoulder. And Neji, noticing the situation, switched his gaze from Sasuke back to Sakura, clarity appearing on his face. And then he smiled. A fake smile, she could tell, because it looked exactly like the ones that she gave him. He nodded again, kissing her hand and then dropping it. He moved back into the crowd, seemingly disappearing from her grasp forever. She exhaled deeply. "Dance?" She nodded solemnly as he pulled her to him, one hand in hers, the others at the small of her back. She clasped her fingers behind his neck and let her head rest on his chest. They moved slowly, in time with the music. "Are you okay?" She nodded, then she shook her head. She buried her face in his shirt jacket. It smelled dark and sweet, that smell that she only associated with Sasuke. Gripping his neck, she took a deep breath.

"Do you wish…sometimes, do you wish you could just start over? Erase some things from memory, wipe some things from your past…?" He chuckled. She heard the throaty sound through his chest.

"You need your past in order to get you where you are now, but sometimes, it's just not worth the memories, the regret." She hummed.

"If I could just forget, it'd be easier to move on. I could live my life, if the past was the past and just that, I mean. Why must it always rear its ugly head?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"But you need to remember. Remembrance is the only thing that'll keep you from doing the same thing over and over again, expecting something to change. Or maybe it's the insanity itself that keeps us human." Her expression was one of deep thought as he pulled back to look at her. Smiling, the song changed and her head was back on his chest, swaying to the slow music that filled their ears.

She had to tell him.

She knew what he wanted, and she knew what she wanted, the both of them at two different standstills because neither of them knew which to comprise. And putting that together, it would only mean more pain. Sasuke didn't want a lovey-dovey relationship. He didn't want a relationship with flowers and sweet kisses, holding hands, and picnics. No dinners out, no cuddling at home. He wanted platonic love, something that they knew each other had but didn't have to be discussed. In his mind, passion wasn't needed, nor would it be a factor. And all of that, all of that she wanted. He wouldn't change for her, that was one thing she knew. She had yet to accept it.

She was going through it again, the affection phase, same thing, different time. She was older and wiser, but he made her feel like she was 12 again. The hands holding onto the small of her back made her insides bubble. Being this close to Sasuke made something boil in the pit of her belly. Her mind told her something different. _'Be logical'_ It said. And she would be. She had to tell him. Sighing, she pulled back. When she stared into his eyes, he looked as if he was thinking as well.

"Sakura, I—"

"Sasuke—" They paused. They both apparently had something to say. "You first." He closed his eyes, his mouth opening as someone bum rushed him.

"Sasuke, Sakura, come on! It's time to go!" Naruto shouted, tugging at their arms. She looked back to Sasuke expectantly.

"It'll have to wait." She rolled her eyes. She was nowhere near patient. Naruto was pulling them into the back room where their original party was gathered, the Konoha 11 and their teachers. She noticed the sand siblings, Ino and her boyfriend, Shino and Kiba with their dates, and various scantily clad waitresses. The room was packed when they got there, two large round tables and a small stage. The table closest to the door was their table, the other filled with the older elites. She hated having to walk into a room last. Everyone was staring at the both of them. She inwardly snorted. Walking together. Probably one of his 'date' conditions.

The two vacant seats in front of her were probably reserved for them, as Naruto sat back down in his original seat and she sat down in between the two of them. Naruto nudged her.

"He's drunk!" He whispered harshly in her ear.

"Who?" She asked, looking around.

"Sensei! And he's about to make a toast!" She watched in horror as he ambled over to the small stage and started tapping on the microphone.

"Yo. Can I get another drink?"

Oh Kami.

* * *

><p>"So, so, this was an accident, mind you." Naruto laughed, holding onto the microphone stand as he doubled over. "I mean, I'm 16, I'm horny. You know, hormones. I didn't think she'd actually throw me off of the Hokage Monument." She blushed as laughter erupted from the crowd. "And, okay. I'll take credit for touching her boobs. I blushed, she blushed. But my life ended when I squeezed." They went crazy at that moment. Turning to her left, she even saw Sasuke smiling, clearly interested in Naruto's tales. He caught her gaze and mouthed something. Her eyebrows furrowed.<p>

"What?" She said as Naruto continued.

"Now, for my lack of experience in the area, those were good breasts. But for my hands," He held up his paws for everyone to see. "Sakura, for your age, they should've been bigger. Even now—" She shot up.

"Okay, Uzumaki, I think that's enough reflection on the past for you." He hobbled over to her, exhibiting the first signs of drunkenness.

"Let's hear one from you, Sakura!" He shouted, halfway leaning on her shoulder. She shook her head.

"No, I think everyone's heard enough toasts." She leaned into his ear. "Naruto, you've had a bit much to drink." He waved her away.

"Oh this, this is nothing! Come on, Sakura, do one for me!" He whined. She shook her head again.

"Go ahead, Sakura!" She heard someone from the crowd yell. It might've been Kakashi… Soon it was a chorus of her name. She stalked to the stage, glaring back at Naruto who was now passed out on the table.

"Ahem." She said into the microphone. She heard a whistle. "I haven't lost my touch," She warned with a smile, raising her fist. She heard small laughter throughout the crowd; most likely those who have experienced them. "This might be the only real toast you all will hear, and I know you're hungry, so I'll make it short." She cleared her throat again. "Oh man, where do I start?" She said chuckling dryly. She swallowed, her palms becoming sweaty. "It's been hard for us, these past years, with the absence of Sasuke. When I say Naruto and I have been through _everything,_ I mean it. Our trials and tribulations of trying to bring him back have been painful, heartbreaking, and disappointing. There's no way to sugarcoat the loss of hope we've had." The room was quiet, intently listening to her words. She looked over at Sasuke, his eyes bearing holes through her, and at Naruto, his head lying on his arms, gazing at her through hooded eyes. "Now that he's here, we're living, _breathing_, happier, and I'm sure all of you have seen the changes. Walking, talking, annoying ass Sasuke is back." She chuckled, earning her a few laughs. "Shishou and I threw this party to make sure that he is welcomed back with open arms. There'll always be the civilians that won't accept him, the ninja that still see him as a traitor, but the Konoha 11, teachers and comrades alike, should never have a doubt in our minds that he's one of us and always has been. So," She waved to the waitress for a drink and held it up. "Here's to Sasuke!"

One by one they stood, shouting and clapping their hands on his back. All that was heard in the room was some drunken slurs and clinking of glasses. She smiled, still standing in front of the microphone, and then she saw him. Neji was staring right back at her, his eyes calculating. He continued to stare. She needed to get out, she needed air. She didn't need to occupy the same space that he did, it wasn't necessary. She thought of the plan and began moving through the crowd of people towards the door. A hand appeared on her shoulder.

"Sakura—" She turned on her heel, his hand being snatched from her shoulder.

"Neji, _what—"_ She froze. It wasn't Neji in front of her, it was Sasuke. His previously concerned eyes turned unreadable again. She put her hands over her face. "Kami, I'm sorry Sasuke. I have a lot on my mind. I just need some fresh air and I'm being suffocated by—"

"Neji." She nodded, her hands crossed over her chest and held onto her shoulders.

"Neji, yes, Neji. Apparently three months of space vanish when you've been confronted by him." His moved and held her forearms, but she snatched them away. "I know what you want, and I know what you're here for. And I know exactly what's supposed to happen right now, and the events that occur afterwards, and to tell you the truth, they're not pretty, and they don't turn out in my favor at _all_." She finished firmly, a lump forming in her throat. She shifted her weight to one heel. "To be honest, I'm not exactly over him. And to start this, with you, I just can't Sasuke. I can't do that to you or to myself. Rejection is the number one thought in my mind right now, and I'd hate to fall in love with you, only for your bastard-ish ways to kick in and you leave me—"

"Stop your rambling already." He grabbed her upper arms this time and crushed his lips to hers. She was frozen, her eyes staring right back into his closed ones until the kiss melted her, and she fell into his embrace. They were like that until he pulled his teeth from her bottom lip, her eyes staring up at him, hooded.

He smiled, that Sasuke smile of his.

"I was just going to tell you I think I left the water running." He said smiling. Her eyes widened, her face were flustered as pink spread throughout her cheeks.

"Really?" He shook his head and his face turned serious, all remainders of joy gone. She blinked.

"Sakura, I want you." She sighed.

"Sasuke—"

"No, listen." He pulled her back into his embrace.

"I want you for _you._ I don't want you for your vagina or what it could do for me, or the later effects. I couldn't care less about your body, how small your breasts are, well—" She threw him a pointed look. "I want _you_, Sakura. Gullible, awkward, fighty, Sakura, who's shown me her capabilities, her power, and her fists." He scoffed as she frowned, turning away from him. "Forget Neji, forget what he did to you. If you can't, I'll wait. Give _us_ a chance, Sakura. I have my moods, and you have yours. We're not perfect. But if I can take you as you are, the moody, brash, fist-happy, annoying Sakura that you are—"

"And if I can take you for the emotionless, superiority complex having, self-gratifying bastard that you are—"

"Then we _can_ be." She smiled against his chest as they swayed to imaginary music. She was happy because of what he offered her, complacent with their deal.

"Okay." She answered, her voice muffled by his dress shirt. He chuckled into her hair.

"You know that this means we get to share the big bed now, don't you?"

* * *

><p><em>I know a lot of you hate flash backs, and I'm sorry. This is the last SasuSaku flashback. You miss KakaSaku, and I promise you'll have it in the next couple of chapters. Promise! But thank-you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I sure enjoyed writing it for you all. Another thing, a revision of chapter 13 is going to be coming up soon, so make sure to look down here after each chapter to check for the link. Don't forget to review!<em>

_-Keoo19_


	18. Revelations

**STOP WHAT YOU"RE DOING!**

_If you haven't done it already, please go reread the strip club scene from Clash Chpt. 13. It has been revised! If you need to, just reread the whole chapter. That's preferable because some of the rest of it was revised as well, but if you're short on time, just reread the last scene. When you've finished, you may proceed._

**...**

**Revelations**

* * *

><p>"Okay…so. You dated, correct?" The interrogator asked.<p>

"Yes."

"Yeah,"

"For…"

"2 years," Sakura said tiredly. She and Sasuke have been sitting still in the same chairs for the past three hours. No refreshments, no restroom breaks, and no lifelines.

"2 years. And you broke up because you were cheated on, right?" She nodded. "And because of this, you asked Hatake Kakashi to sponsor you for Anbu." She nodded again. "Back to the cheating." She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.

"Interrogator-san, I really don't think this forwards the investigation in any way—"

"You called me 'Interrogator-san', correct?" She rolled her eyes.

"Correct." He hummed.

"Interrogator, questioner, asker, same difference. You have no jurisdiction to tell me what or what won't forward my investigation. Do you understand, Kunoichi?" She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands fisted at her sides. Sasuke placed a comforting hand on her thigh.

"Yes." He nodded, scribbling something in the folder.

"Now, the cheating. It was never disclosed in any files why you did it." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Was it supposed to be? We weren't married. I don't remember signing a legal contract to become boyfriend and girlfriend, or consenting on termination papers to break up. Therefore, it's not mandated that there be recordings of that." He countered. The Interrogator was quiet for a moment, and they heard the shuffling of papers. Almost a minute later, he held something up.

"Here I hold up a document signed by the Daimyo, the council, the Hokage herself, and one witness that claims…" He turned the piece of parchment to himself. "I can use whatever records, information, or personal files to conduct an interrogation. I have the right to ask any question, with relevancy, of course. And that's what I'm going to do. However, this isn't in any of your records or personal files. So, I'll just have to ask. Why did you cheat on Haruno Sakura?" Sasuke's lips set in a grim line.

"As the detainee I have the right to remain silent—"

"With your careers on the line it would be a bad idea—"

"—and I also have the right to know how this forwards the investigation, because if it doesn't, you don't have the right to ask that question. Relevancy, remember?" He finished firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. Sakura covered her eyes with her hands. The interrogator ran a hand through his hair, and then slammed his folder on the table.

"_You_ do not have the right to ask _me_ what won't forward the investigation!" He shouted. Sakura flinched. "Now, I do my job and I think I'm pretty damn good at it. I don't need any third rate wet behind the ears ninja trying to flip the rule book on me. I am the rule book!" Sakura knew Anbu to be a calm set of ninja who didn't react under pressure. Nor did they show emotion. Apparently Sasuke has gotten under this one's skin. "Now, you cheated on Sakura, causing her to want to become a part of Anbu. She went to Hatake Kakashi to sponsor her, and he did. She was gone for two whole years and returned a different person. This different person went on an escort mission almost upon her immediate return and killed many ninja in Grass Country. This caused Grass to retaliate. Their retaliation caused skirmishes, which motivated Lady Hokage to send Squad Seven and Squad One on a mission. On this mission, Sakura was captured. Because she was captured, the remainder of her teammates and comrades waited for three months until a time where she could be brought back home illegally. On this illegal mission, the three of you alone killed more than 80 men, and afterwards, failed to receive a peace treaty from the country, which means we're at war." He finished quickly and concisely, leaning forward on the table in front of him. "Did I mention Sakura being brought home illegally? If she was brought home illegally, then your team left illegally. That's a whole lotta' illegals and that to me smells like treason. Treason is why you're in this room in the first place, and if that doesn't forward my investigation, I don't know what will." Sakura shook her head in her hands. She didn't want to hear this. "I'll ask again: Why did you cheat on Sakura, Uchiha?"

Sasuke sighed this time. He couldn't argue with basis, and he wouldn't put any chance they had of walking out of there with their careers intact in jeopardy. Sitting up, he turned away from Sakura. This chapter of their life was closed, they've turned the page. He remembers her telling him that she'd rather he keep his betrayal to himself after the fact, because she didn't know just how many feelings it would upturn. He'd rather not say anything himself either. He didn't need to bring up the past. And now he was being forced to.

"We had just come back from a mission really early that morning. I almost…I almost lost her. We dealt with the traumatic experience differently, she let off steam by training all day, I however, shut myself away from everyone, to just …think. What if I had lost her? If I had lost her and she wasn't truly mine in all senses of the word then I couldn't really claim her as mine in the first place. I was angry. I was angry at her for making me wait, and uncovered feelings that I never really knew I had about the matter were revealed. So when she came home…" He rubbed a hand down his face as Sakura looked on, her eyes wide. She didn't want to hear it, but her body wouldn't move, wouldn't react to his words. All she could do was soak in the new clarity and hope for the best. "I was rough and she slapped me, I shut down. I forced her to leave in the dead of night. Because of my anger that day, my sense blacked out. The slap was her rejection, and that got me even angrier than I was previously. She rejected me, and I couldn't take that sitting down. Two full years with her, and it just led to rejection. She took away the only way I thought that I could have full possession of her. So, I wanted her to feel what I felt. That same rejection. I wanted her to feel the same pain—" Her hands slapped over her ears and she pulled her knees to her chest.

"Stop, stop please." She whispered, rocking in her chair.

"Continue." The interrogator said. Sasuke gazed back at Sakura. Her eyes were wide and her body in fetal position, she looked…vulnerable. He couldn't do that to her. He couldn't break her heart again.

"That's it—"

"You will continue."

"No!" She screamed, tears brimming in her eyes. "You've gotten enough information, there's no more that you need!" She pleaded with the Interrogator.

"I need this information to forward my investigation." She shook her head fervently.

"No you don't. No you don't." She repeated shaking her head. Her hands had a firm hold over her ears.

"How can you—"

"Look at me!" She cried, throwing her arms in front of her, outstretching them. "I'm unstable right now! You have my personal file right in front of you, and I know you've read that I'm legally insane." The interrogator stood, contemplating the information.

"And so? You're being interrogated on the suspicion of treason. Medical background doesn't fit into this." He slammed his hands on the table. "You will continue, and that's an order!" He shouted.

"On what grounds?! We're being interrogated on the suspicions of treason. We're detainees, we're like criminals in this room! You don't _have_ the right to continue!" She shouted. "Provoking a legally insane or otherwise mentally unstable detainee after he or she has requested a cease is unlawful unless proper restraining equipment is present." She recited, almost mechanically, from the rulebook. "I don't see any restraining equipment around! If you've forgotten, I'm Anbu as well and I've read that book from cover to cover. Unless you want _your_ interrogation, as you claim, to be null and void, I suggest _you_ move on because _she_ has requested a cease, and it'd be treason against the oath you swore the second you graduated from training." She spat out, fast and barely comprehensible as she managed to finish her sentence. Sasuke looked on, shock on his face. Before anyone could say anything else, her mouth flew open. "I request an intermission." She said firmly.

"Granted." He bit out grimly. The light in the room where the Interrogator inhabited flickered off. She turned away from Sasuke, slowing her breaths until she could control her shaking.

"Sakura, I—"

"Please, just don't…Don't speak to me." She choked out, lying her head against the chair. "I don't want to hear your voice."

* * *

><p>He tapped his foot and rapped his fingers against the desk as he seemingly read through the folder in front of him. He cleared his throat before speaking.<p>

"Would you say your two years in Anbu formulated your martyr theories?" She was dozing off, and her eyes blinked open at this.

"What?" The Interrogator sighed.

"Do you think that your time in Anbu created your martyr ideals? Save everyone in sacrifice of yourself?" Her eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't like that." She said, anger rising in her.

"Oh? Then how was it like?" She rubbed her face up and down and lightly nudged Sasuke once she heard the faint noises coming from his mouth. His Sharingan snapped open as he sat up abruptly. When she nudged him again, he looked at her and deactivated it.

"We were up against 30 ninja. I had to set up a full henge that day, and I had to use Genjutsu. Both of which guzzle chakra. On top of that, I had to heal the wound from Kakashi's collapsed lung, a chest wound, and I also broke my ankle. I was practically drained by the time Naruto alerted us to the enemy force coming." He wrote something down.

"And then what happened?" She sighed.

"And then Kakashi split up the teams and we were left to fight. It was hard, and it got harder because Kakashi went and got himself poisoned, stupid bastard." She breathed. "So I threw him the scroll instead. The end." The Interrogator hummed.

"Uh-huh. Why didn't you use the transportation scroll at a more convenient time?" She frowned.

"Because they would've followed us back to the Leaf." She said through clenched teeth.

"But you would've had a head start. A head start meant that you could've told the Hokage, and the Hokage could've fortified the Village. That was three months you could've spent licking battle wounds instead of bound in enemy territory." Her anger boiled. Sasuke must've felt it because just as she was about to stand up and yell, he put a firm hand on her thigh. She smacked it away.

"We're getting off track, are we not?" Sasuke started. "I thought we cancelled out riling us up." He sighed. His power was being taken away from him.

"There wasn't a response to my last inquiry, but I'll let that slide. Uchiha, you and Haruno's relationship has been on and off your whole lives. How did you feel when you found out she was captured?" Sasuke pursed his lips.

"I was angry. We trusted Kakashi to protect his student, his sponsor, his _teammate,_ something that should've been automatic, and he failed."

"Your ex-sensei, who was still above you in rank, ordered you all to assist him in rescuing Sakura. You were hurting for three full months of lockdown, no way of knowing whether or not she was alive. Bottom line, you were tired. Did you think the tiredness and the hurt you suffered from played a part in your agreeing so readily to authority, even when he opted to disobey the Hokage's and the elder council's direct order?" He asked. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"No."

"No?"

"No." He placed his folder down on the table in front of him.

"Care to explain?" Sasuke frowned.

"Kakashi didn't coerce me or any of the others into anything. We were all equally hurt, Kakashi feeling guilt more so than any of us. She was captured on his watch. And it was so much more painful because we love Sakura." She turned and looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "We couldn't just sit still while she was being tortured. She's _Sakura_. She's not the brightest person, or the most innocent, but she's _our _Sakura. She saved us all from ourselves, and when it was finally time to return the favor, we didn't hesitate. Don't get me wrong. Our loyalty as the Hokage's Shinobi can rival the Inuzuka Clan's dogs to their owners. Everyone knows that the Hokage loves Sakura as her own daughter. But her duties as a Hokage were far greater. When Sakura was captured, she hurt too. But putting some of her best ninja in danger would be a stupid mistake." He finished matter-of-factly.

This was pointless.

This interrogation was pointless. Everyone knew the testaments of Squad 7's loyalty, because they've proved it time and time again. But to take them all the way out to some island just to hear it from the horse's mouth was pointless. Deviating them from a mission was pointless. Just like everything else about this base. Pointless, pointless, irritating, and most importantly, pointless. It was a waste of time, and he hated wasting time. Speaking of time, they were going on what, four hours now?

"This wasn't an act of treason. Disobeying direct orders? Yes. But the elders never made a law against going to rescue a comrade. When lockdown was lifted, we left. Look at it as…an unofficial mission." Sasuke finished with a sly smile. The Interrogator sighed. Having to question their team was no easy task. He snapped his folder shut and moved his mask off of his face, gripping the bridge of his nose.

"Dismissed." As the light cut off in the Interrogator's room, she slumped, exhaling as fatigue overtook her.

"Are you okay?" She waved him away.

"I'm fine." She sat up, gripping the arms of the chair. He reached towards her and her head whipped around, her eyes cold with a glare. "Leave me alone." She pushed off of the chair and immediately as her hands left the arms, her legs gave out.

"Sakura!"

"Shut-up." She couldn't stop herself from her free-fall, even her hands failed to move to break her descent towards the cold, stone floor. Luckily, Sasuke's Sharingan activated in times of distress. He moved to catch her right before she hit the ground. She tried to move but…

"Don't touch me…" She whispered, her face planted on his chest and her body between his legs. He was holding her by her upper arms. "Move." She managed more firmly.

"Sakura, you just fainted. You're not fine." She frowned.

"You can't faint without your mind totally blacking out, dumbass. I knew exactly what was happening when it happened." She finished defiantly.

"And you didn't stop it because…?" She paused.

"My limbs went numb…" She grumbled. He sighed, hoisting her up and flipping her over. As he raised, he pulled her up into his arms. "Get—off of me, you bastard!" He stopped.

"And how exactly do you suppose you'll get back to the room?" She frowned, realizing her flaw.

"I'll crawl." She muttered under her breath. He continued on, smirking.

"With what legs?"

"With my face, you bastard."

"Could you stop calling me that?"

"No, you bastard." She said as he sighed.

"Sakura—"

"Don't."

"Sakura." She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I said don't, damn it!" She groaned. If she could pull her hair out, she would. He was just so damn irritating. She didn't want to hear it, he _knew_ she didn't want to hear it, but he insisted. He was being purposely ignorant to her feelings, and it was giving her a massive headache just trying to wrap her head around it.

No. Don't think of it.

"It's an interrogation, I couldn't just lie, Sakura."

"Well shit, Sasuke! The truth _hurts! _The past shouldn't even exist if we can't move on from it!" He sighed again, this one more resigned. "At first I was confused as to why, but afterwards, I personally didn't give a fuck. We moved on, we broke up, we're _through._ I said I didn't want to know because I'd probably just end up killing her. But to find out that it was you all along...?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Sakura—"

"Stop saying my name!" She felt the tenseness in his body.

"Then give me a chance to fucking speak!" She froze in shock, overtaken by the sound of his voice and his anger. She quickly regained herself.

"Why? It's all bullshit! You lied to me, Sasuke. You told me that she came to you that morning. _'I wanted her to feel the same pain'_" She said mockingly, "Doesn't sound like TenTen conveniently appeared on your doorstep. You said you blacked out, on top of you wanting me to feel rejection. Blacking out meaning spur of the moment. Spur of the moment meaning you went to her that same night you threw me out. Again, you lied! All this means to me is that you didn't just have sex with her twice, it was three times minimum, and since you've already gotten the hang of lying to me, only Kami knows how many more times it was!" She yelled. "How little did I mean to you that on the _same night,_ you went looking for some other bitch to fuck? You couldn't keep it in your pants—no, you didn't even try to. Apparently, when you black out, vocabulary words like faithfulness, and _cheating, _finds its way out of your subconscious. To me it seemed like you didn't give a fuck about the meaning of either two." She finished icily.

"I was trying to salvage our relationship. If I had told you, we would've been worse off." She rolled her eyes.

"Well aren't we now? I just can't believe you. Sex? Sex! All along, that was what you wanted. I didn't give it to you then, so here comes some bullshit excuse. _'I almost lost you'_ Shit, I didn't die! You should've gotten over it! Are you that _shallow _that you wanted to get back at me for not having sex with you? Put. Me. Down!" She struggled from his grasp and dropped to her feet. "Unlike me, sweat and sticky bindings turn you on! You did this!" She pulled up her button-down, dropping the henge to show him her burn. "Are you proud of this? You should be, because it's one reminder that I can never rid myself of. I'll always have this nasty piece of you on me. I—" He grabbed her arms.

"I'm sorry, damn it! Can I get that out of my mouth at least?" He shouted. "Shit, Sakura! I'm _sorry._ Two years ago, you almost died! Yes, I'll say it again, I almost lost you! Do you know how that feels? To almost lose someone you love?" She opened her mouth. "Don't say a word. I know you do." Her mouth closed in a frown. "I wanted to take you home and fuck you in every way possible. I wanted to make you _mine."_ Her anger flared.

"But you didn't! You fucked _her." _She bit out."I'm a girl, not a machine! I don't believe in patience, but damn it, you can't go around pulling my clothes off like I'm some blow-up doll! Love must've meant something totally different between us, because you claimed you loved me, but the second I left your house you went looking to cheat!" He pulled at his scalp.

"If I could go back and change the past, I would a million times over." She shook her head.

"But you can't. That's why we're here."

"I regret having sex with her. But I can't take that back. I regret—"

"Our relationship? That makes two of us." She turned and began to run. Thinking of Sasuke made her cringe, and being near him made it harder to breathe. So she would run. She'd run until she was caught. He's going to make sure he actually knows where she's going before he does something about it. When he sees she's running from him, he'll stop.

And then, then she can cry.

* * *

><p>She burst into the room and immediately tripped over her two feet.<p>

"Sakura!" Kakashi jumped out of his seat and to her aid. He knelt beside her as she lifted her face from the cold, stone floor. The Gods really wanted her to fall, the first time not occurring because of that damned self-activating Sharingan of Sasuke's. Kakashi's Sharingan is always on, but Sakura wanted oh so badly to implant his contacts before they even reached the Village. On top of that, he was asleep. Lucky her. "Are you okay?" She sighed, dropping her face back to the floor.

"I don't know." She mumbled. He moved the hair covering his eye and opened it, searching her body.

"Your chakra flow isn't necessarily disrupted, but it isn't evenly distributed to all of your networks." She frowned.

"Fatigue, then. So my body starts acting up when I'm tired, huh? Piece of shit." She said angrily. Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows.

"Sakura, are you sure you're okay?" She shook her head.

"No." She closed her eyes. "No more interrogations. I can't take it." Kakashi moved off of his knees and picked her up. He took her back towards the chairs against the wall and placed her in one.

"Sakura, what happened?" He asked, taking a seat beside her. She shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it." Looking around, he noticed Sasuke's absence. Something went wrong.

"Where's Naruto?" She asked. She'd usually hear his mouth by now, but she didn't.

"He's in questioning. He left half an hour ago, so he should be back soon. Mine wasn't long either." She looked away and sighed.

"Kakashi, if the interrogation with Sasuke was like that…" He placed a hand on her shoulder; she flinched. Furrowing his eyebrows, he quickly removed it.

"We'll be fine, Sakura. I promise." She squeezed her eyes shut. That's what everyone said. But she supposed more truth would be uncovered. Truth, she scoffed. Truth hurts. What could Kakashi hide from her? They were never together. His past, maybe? But that had nothing to do with their alleged treason, right…? She hoped to Kami not. Kakashi got tense when his past was spoken of, and he locked up. For them to have gotten so close, for her to have gotten that first mask off of him, to speak of his past would erase all of that. Especially in front of her. Judging from their last meeting with the elders, authority doesn't care about what makes you cringe.

He saw that she was deep in thought.

"Stay strong, young ninja." He patted her head, and her hand flew back, smacking him in the face. When she turned, her hands flew to her mouth as he flexed his jaw.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry—"

"It's fine—"

"No, really." She leaned back and sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. He narrowed his eyes. Reaching his hand over to her, it hovered above her forehead before she nodded.

"Sakura, you're burning up. You're not okay." She sighed.

"It's hot. I just have to finish up these last two interrogations, then we can head out on the next ferry out of here." He sighed at her stubbornness. Didn't she just say she couldn't take anymore interrogations a few minutes ago?

"And when you become incoherent and start babbling about all the illegal things _we've_ done, getting on the next ferry out of here won't be that simple." She waved him away.

"It was those fluids they flushed our bodies with. It did something to me." He shook his head.

"Or maybe it's how poorly you've been taking care of your body the past few days. As a medic you should know that after that poison, you should've taken care of yourself so that you could recover properly. But you didn't." He finished. She leaned back, rubbing her forehead.

"Do I still have to remind you that this is your fault? If I wasn't poisoned in the first place—"

"We're not pointing fingers, but if it wasn't for your carelessness—" She held up her palm to stop him.

"Kakashi, don't start. I'll hurt you." He shrugged.

"Haruno Sakura," Someone drawled as the door opened, and immediately he heard Naruto's voice. She could see the irritation in the Anbu operative's face.

"Is this the last session? I'm kind of hungry. Can I get some BBQ? I think I can place some demands as a criminal." He rambled on. Kakashi helped her out of her seat.

"Good luck." He said as she took an unsteady walk to the door. She turned around and crossed her fingers before exiting.

"I'll need it." She whispered.

* * *

><p>He brushed the strands sticking to her forehead out of her face.<p>

"You look like you're dying," He commented, moving more hair out of her face.

"Thanks, Naruto. I'm glad I can always count on you to tell it like it is." He gave her a grin and she couldn't help but to smile back.

"Anytime, Haruno." The Interrogator room light turned on.

"Let's get started." Sakura sighed. "Uzumaki Naruto?"

"That's me." Naruto replied, as if it wasn't obvious. Sakura managed an eye roll.

"You were a part of the official mission to capture Tadashi Nao and collect recon on the enemy, correct?" Naruto nodded.

"Yeah."

"From your mission report, I see you were also the one to discover the wave of enemy ninja approaching."

"Yeah."

"So you, being as skilled and efficient as you are, not to mention filled with immense power, how did you let your teammate get captured?"

Silence.

Naruto gripped the arms of his seat as he unconsciously moved to the edge.

"I didn't." He bit out. The Interrogator smacked his lips.

"Well, someone did. I hope Sakura and I aren't the only ones who realized her absence for 3 months—"

"_We_ didn't!" Naruto shouted, pounding his fists against the chair. "Sasuke and I followed orders from a superior officer. It didn't matter how stupid they were, or how irresponsible they were. They were orders, plain and simple, so we followed." She turned to Naruto. He's already flustered and the interrogation just started. He was never one to keep his cool, but…

"So you think your squad leader's orders were stupid and irresponsible?" Naruto quickly calmed himself. He realized how irrational his words were, and how bad he was making his Sensei look. But he was never one to hold his tongue, either.

"Of course I do. Kakashi-Sensei is one of the smartest Shinobi I know, so I could only trust he knew what he was doing when he split us up." He finished.

"So you took Tadashi back to the Village, and of course, he was put in protective custody. What did you do then?" He frowned.

"I waited. I waited for what seemed like hours. Then I got news that Kakashi returned, so I rushed to the Hospital. Then I found out that he returned _without_ Sakura. Via transport scroll at that." Sakura looked away.

"Were you angry?" His eyes narrowed.

"What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I was angry! How could he? He made a vow and he broke it. I trusted him with her life, and he couldn't even bring her home." Naruto gripped his pants, looking down at the floor. "I would've killed him where he laid if I could. He's in Anbu for cripes sake, and he couldn't even save—!"

"Naruto! Stop that!" She commanded. He glowered.

"You may have been locked up for three months, but we were _here. _We hurt just as you did. You were dead to us, Sakura! You can't just take that away!" She held her face in her hands. "It may have been easier for the rest of them to just clear their conscious and pick up where they left off..." He trailed off. "You know the lifespan of a captured ninja of your caliber? Six weeks. After that…" He shook his head. "Because it was you, I coerced Baa-chan to wait two months. And after that, well, I was the one who had to sign off on your death certificate, so forgive me if this isn't the easiest for me to handle." Her eyes widened. "Oh, they didn't tell you?" He scoffed. "Just be grateful your parents were away." He turned to the Interrogator. "So when Kakashi gathered us to retrieve her, I couldn't help but to find out her fate." She bit her lip trying to hold back tears. "Why the hell would you give him the scroll? Why did you have the scroll in the first place if Kakashi was the Captain? You could've saved yourself, Sakura. You could've—"

"I could've what, Naruto?" She cut him off through her tears. "I could've what? Left him for dead? You weren't there, Uzumaki! He was poisoned and paralyzed. You and I both know how many Bingo Books Kakashi's in, not one of them has him listed as wanted alive!" She finished, banging weak hands on her legs. "You'd just prefer Kakashi to die, rather than I be tortured?" He threw his hands in the air.

"Look at the results! Look at you, Sakura!" She shook her head.

"That's not fair, Naruto." He looked away from her as the anger drained from his face. "The past is the past. I'm here now, so we can't sit here and argue my wrongdoings or Kakashi's; we can't _change_ it." She grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed. "We're ready to proceed. The Interrogator sighed.

"Very well. Why don't we start with your relationship?" They both nodded. "How long have you known each other?"

"Known each other?" Sakura repeated. "Minimum of 10 years." He wrote something down.

"10 years, huh?" They nodded. "So you can say that the bond the both of you share is strong." Sakura nodded slowly. "So when the Uchiha left, Sakura, who did you blame?" Her mouth opened as Naruto's head whipped around to face her.

"Blame? I didn't blame—"

"Back to the bond. You both had so much love for each other for so long…you were all each other had when Sasuke left. Sakura, you held so much love for him that, you even tried to release him of his vow and kill Sasuke yourself." Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. What did this have to do with anything? She was about ready to ask when he spoke again. "I digress. Anyway, the bond. You both held so much love for each other, blah, blah, blah. My question is, were there any moments where you both gave up?" She blinked.

"I mean, we lost hope a few times, considering—"

"So, your loss of hope back then, or your lack of quickness could be the reason for so many failed rescue missions. Could your last unofficial mission, Naruto, be one of which to make amends for what you did last time? Lose hope? Lose all faith that Sakura was actually alive? Could this passion to make up for your wrongs from 6 or so years ago fuel your need to do differently this time? To break even more rules to retrieve a fallen teammate, without regard to higher authority?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What?" Was the only reply he could muster as he tried to digest the information. "No, I—" He licked his lips and sighed. "It wasn't about breaking the rules. It was about doing something that needed to be done." He stressed.

"While breaking the rules in the process." The Interrogator finished as he wrote in the folder. "Okay, so…your relationships. You've agreed that there were moments where there was a loss of hope, Sakura. A loss of hope ultimately means a loss of love. Were there any moments where you gave up on him? Where you called it quits on Sasuke?" She pursed her lips, wiping her forehead.

"I—yes. But as a means to release him of the burden. At the time, Sasuke was an international criminal, and Naruto getting caught up in that would only warrant more trouble. He wanted him back as much as the next person, but his want was powered by my tears and my pleas. He tried to do this for me, mostly, and when it was brought to my attention the pain I was causing him, I couldn't…I couldn't bear it." The Interrogator nodded.

"Okay, so what if this happened again? Approximately a year later, after Naruto was almost killed. What if it was meant a little more than it was the first time? That time being out of desperation, the next time being more of…needing to find a constant." Sakura swallowed, brushing more of the falling curls from her face.

"No. I mean—" He cut her off.

"You're lying. Lying to an Anbu officer warrants punishment even outside of the ones that may be given as a consequence depending on how this interrogation goes. Lying won't push anything in your favor." She put her hands over her eyes and exhaled. "Let me rephrase my statement. After Naruto was almost killed by Sasuke at age 16, you felt something for the boy. You didn't know if it was exactly romantic, but you felt for the boy who damaged himself inside and out, so that you wouldn't cry tears of sadness anymore. So that the person he loved with all of his heart would be finally happy after five years…with someone else. No, he knew how much his dear Sakura-chan loved the Uchiha, and he knew how much it pained her for him to be a traitor, and to continuously hear of his crimes.

"Naruto knew all of this, but still, after every mission his resolve got stronger and stronger. But this particular mission, Naruto was so much stronger; he'd even made connections with the Kyuubi inside of him, increasing his already immense power. But he was no match against the Susanoo'o. Sasuke once again escaped, and Naruto had…" The Interrogator looked into his folder. "Four broken ribs, a broken arm and leg, a fractured cheek bone, and not to mention numerous gashes, cuts, and bruises. Sasuke was gone from your grasp yet again. After this encounter, you looked at the Uchiha in contempt as Naruto fell into a deep depression. Once again, you noticed how much you were hurting him. I mean, it wasn't long before that Naruto went into a coma from severe dehydration and lack of nutrients." He slammed his folder down. "You told me of this strong bond you two shared, for a minimum of ten years on top of that, yet Naruto had to fall into a coma for you to notice that he wasn't eating or drinking. Even longer to find out that he was depressed! You're telling me that for three weeks from when Naruto returned from the Hospital after the mission, you were so wrapped up in your pity party that you failed to notice the person you loved so much was killing himself? Makes even me rethink this special bond."

Sakura closed her eyes tightly as her hands dug into her temples. Naruto's look was impassive. The Interrogator calmed himself.

"After the _years_ it took to notice his depression, what happened between you? I don't mean the road to recovery, I don't mean the steps you took to get him back on track. I mean when he took solace in you because he was truly lost, and he realized now that you were all he had. For days at a time you didn't come into work, only to be found at his house. So what was it? What was it that suddenly triggered this need for Naruto in your life?"

**7 years ago**

Removing a brick from the ledge, she reached inside and felt around for a spare key. Once she found it, she replaced the brick and jostled the key through the keyhole. She opened the door and stepped inside. She kicked off her boots and placed them neatly by the door, and then she threw her shoulder bag on the couch. Walking into the kitchen, she checked the fridge. The food she bought two days ago looked untouched, just like it did yesterday. Sighing, she closed it and walked out of his kitchen and onto the path to his room. She moved to open the door, but upon twisting it she found it was locked. Her fingers almost immediately glowed blue. She tried the door again and moved inside.

His room was large, way too large, for someone like Naruto. She walked over to the raised platform where his bed was located and stepped onto it. He was covered in his comforters, all that was visible of him was a lump on the bed. She sat beside him and pulled the sheets off of his head.

"Naruto," She whispered into his ear, brushing some of his sweaty hair out of his face. She pulled the rest of the sheets from his body and noticed he was still in the same clothes from the last time she was here. Making time for Naruto was top priority, especially in his state. He's made her job unimportant to her. They'd be lucky if she made it in at least once a week. It wasn't like this before, though. When they returned, as a means to block her thoughts and just forget, she swamped herself with patients and lab tests so that all she had time to do when she got home was crash on her bed…or couch, whichever she could make it to. Now she found that she should've, considering the nasty slump he's fallen into. She only stopped by to make him something yesterday, she didn't have time to actually force him to eat it, so she didn't know if he did. He could be on the verge of deprivation again, just because she didn't have time for the details. Or, she didn't want to make time.

She still can't help but argue the unfairness of her situation.

She loves Naruto with all of her heart, and she knows that she's not the only one. They all depend on him for everything, and thus have entrusted him with returning Sasuke, and that's if he could. They've given up on helping, given up on hope. They waved away his attempts to bring Sasuke home as just something Naruto could hold onto, because there wasn't any reality left in the dream. And that may be so, but does that mean that their love for him has vanished? No. They come to him requesting him as a partner on their two-man cells, but when he looks as if he needs the slightest of help, everyone's busy. Once he's turned sick, the responsibility of Naruto has been shirked onto her. Someone has yet to ask how she's managing.

She accepted it though, because it was her fault he was like this.

"Naruto, come on, get up." She pulled him up and moved to go search through his closet. She brought out his clan shirt and Shinobi pants. She picked out clean underwear and put the stack into his hands as she pulled him to his feet. "Go get cleaned up. I'm going to cook." She gave him a light push in the direction of his bathroom. She watched him as he closed the door, then she left his bathroom and headed back for the kitchen.

She doubted he had the stomach for ramen. He'd only throw it all up again. With that in mind, she found there were many things Naruto couldn't stomach now, so her list of things to cook got considerably shorter. Although she needed to make something substantial to last him a few hours. She's on call, so her pager could ring whenever. Whether or not she chose to ignore it was her choice, and how Naruto was faring today depended heavily on that. Either way, she knew she had to come back. Unattended after their last mission, Naruto forewent eating and drinking.

And it was her fault.

How could she not see how the events of their encounter crushed all of Naruto's hope? His faith? She was stupid. It was Naruto, and she used to believe that his faith and hope was unwavering. He'd get better, like he did after every one of their missions. She didn't visit him when he was in the Hospital, and she didn't go and visit him when he was cleared for release. Her way of coping was drowning herself in her work and her patients, and Kakashi _is_ still on that mission…

She'd seen him around the Village, and they'd say hi in passing. She never thought enough of it as to go and visit him. Another week passed. She brushed off the feeling that Naruto was paler and his eyes were losing color. Also, his gait was sluggish. She asked him if he was okay, and he replied that he was fine. He gave her a smile, and she stupidly fed into it. Three days later, he passed out in his home. He was found a day later only because he didn't show up to a general meeting.

Stupid, foolish, selfish girl.

He was comatose for a week and a half. Sakura took care of him now. She found from his lack of food intake for so long, the only supplement being whatever they put in his drip, that many foods became unfamiliar to him. He couldn't stomach them because reintroducing his body to it caused him to throw up. And he ended up vomiting more often than not as Sakura experimented which foods he could take, and in what servings. She paused in front of the sink as she thought of what to make him. Sweets would make him gag at just the smell of it, and she doubted the fish smell would be any better. She settled on making him a meat dish; a bowl of soup before that to calm his stomach. She moved, set about making it. Her thoughts wouldn't leave her though, and while they weren't distracting her, a headache formed that she knew would. She pulled the beef from the freezer and started to prepare it, using her vacant glowing fingers to slowly massage her temples.

She didn't understand. A piece of the puzzle just didn't fit.

Naruto sent her and Kakashi away on a false lead while he pursued the real one, Sasuke. When she found out, she was hurt. Hurt and mad. Even more so when she found out that he'd almost gotten himself killed. And because of this anger, when they returned and Naruto was admitted into the Hospital, she swamped herself with work and refused to muster up the will to see him. Not even to check on his progress. And now, because of her pettiness, Naruto passed out from deprivation and didn't care to care for himself.

She placed the two dishes on the table and put the beef in the oven. She put water in a pot and put that on the stove, turning it on high. When she finished preparing the dough, she dropped them in the pot. Her headache pulsed behind her ears. Naruto couldn't just become depressed and give up. He couldn't. That wasn't who he was, and she wouldn't let him become that.

He's been in the shower for a while, so she decided to check on him. The door was left ajar, and she pushed it open. She blinked rapidly as the steam hit her. When she pulled the shower curtain back, the steam was mixed with the stench of blood.

She panicked.

"Naruto, what the hell are you—" She noticed the kunai in his hand, and the blood pouring from his wrist. She quickly snaked an arm around wet and naked waist and stepped one foot inside of the bath. She moved his arm and wrapped it around her neck as she attempted to pull him out, getting soaked in the process. "Come on…" She whispered, pulling one leg out followed by the other. Then she removed the bloody kunai from his hand and proceeded to clean the torn skin in the sink. His eyes were low and impassive. When he made eye contact with her, he held her haze until he felt a hand come across his face. "What the fuck were you doing?" She shouted at him. His head turned back to face her, his expression still the same. She shoved him. "I asked you a question, Uzumaki!" He stumbled back, but she grabbed him by his injured hand. Her eyes narrowed when he didn't hiss, or flinch, or show any indication that he was actually hurt by the deep gash.

"I need to feel _something."_ Her eyes widened.

"What?" She breathed. He snatched the kunai from her hand and made another deep gash across his arm. "No!" Her hand sought for his, but he pushed it away. They dropped to her sides as she watched in awe as the gash slowly healed itself, and all that remained was the blood.

"I can't physically feel pain. My connection with Kurama is so strong that injuries almost immediately heal themselves." He placed his fist over his chest. "But when I fought Sasuke, I felt so much of it. Especially when he left me for dead. Pardon, _spared_ me." His eyes narrowed. "I've experienced so much of the same pain for so long, I'm numb, Sakura. I can't feel anything anymore. I can feel nothing but the nagging feeling of failure that's eating away at me. I'm defeated time and time again and each time I feel more and more of that same pain. And this time, my injuries were so extensive…" He flexed his arm. "I can't fight him, Sakura. Every time I try, or every time I think I'm strong enough, he proves otherwise. I can't—"

"Then why won't you let us help?" She said, shoving him harder. His eyes blazed red.

"You're no match for him!" He growled and she flinched.

"Naruto, you didn't even let us _try."_ She countered quietly. "You sent Sensei and I away thinking you can handle this on your own, but you just can't. You need—"

"No! I don't need anything from you! You and Sensei would've only gotten in the way! Killed even!" Her heart clenched painfully. He grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her. "Did you hear me? You would've gotten yourself killed! I did you a favor! This is _my—"_

"It's not, Naruto!" She shouted back, tears in her eyes. She snatched away from his grip. "We're your teammates, your _family_, and you keep pushing us away. I want to bring Sasuke home just as much as you do, but we can only do that together." He shook his head frantically.

"Don't you see? Sasuke's _never_ coming back!" Her eyes widened. "Each time we fight he gets closer and closer to gaining the resolve to kill me. Sooner or later, it's going to happen. And what then? You chalk it up to the fact that we weren't together? That if you were fighting alongside me, we would've surely had a victory." He scoffed as she stood frozen. "Sakura, we can't keep doing this." She saw a tear fall from his eye as his anger subsided. "We can't keep chasing someone who doesn't want to be found. He's never coming home, and we just have to accept that—"

"Accept it?" She said unbelievingly. The tears ran down her face freely as she grabbed the part of her shirt above her heart. "How do you expect me to just take this? I can't abandon him. I just can't." She closed her eyes. "I love him, Naruto." He flinched as something flashed behind his eyes. Then they narrowed.

"Then go love him, Sakura! _You_ go find him and persuade him with all the love you have to come home. Oh, and how many successes have you had with that tactic?" He brushed past her frozen body and picked up his forgotten clothes on the floor. He stepped into his underwear and his pants, and then he paused. "Just the thought of that kind of mission is a death wish of its own kind. I'd just rather us all accept it then you getting killed in a way that I'd hate to imagine." She choked as the first sob came. Her hand flew over her mouth. "You have to understand, Sakura. You and Sasuke were all I had, once upon a time. Now that he's gone, I have to hold onto you. I can't—I can't lose you too." He left the bathroom as Sakura wiped her face.

What happened to him back there?

She heard the door to his room closed and took her exit. She went back into the kitchen and checked on the food. She removed the dough from the pot and the meat from the open. Cutting the meat, she placed it inside of the dough and folded it. She did that until the dough ran out, and then she grabbed a pan to fry it.

There was no other way to describe his injuries other than to say mercy. The both of them went at it, she figured, and Sasuke lost it. He went to a place where Naruto never existed as his friend or teammate. Somewhere along the line, there must've been a split second of time where Naruto got close enough to Sasuke. How this affected Sasuke, she wouldn't know. But either Naruto succeeded and Sasuke brushed it off, or he failed. Either way, Sasuke took this space in time when they were so close to break Naruto's arm and leg, four ribs, and fracture his cheek bone. The damage to these bones were so extensive, they could've only had been done in close range. Naruto's attack must not have been strong enough for Sasuke to be able to get that close and injure him that badly. After this, Naruto gave up. Seeing that, Sasuke must've showed him mercy. That's what she got out of his injuries, anyway.

She just wanted him home.

She wanted them all back together again, as a team. She and Naruto couldn't do this much longer. Scratch that, _she_ couldn't do this much longer. Naruto had already given up. Clinging to each other, feeding off of each other's need to bring Sasuke back, it's not working anymore. It's actually pulling them farther apart seeing Sasuke as a criminal. Naruto knew what he was doing. He wanted to save Sasuke before he was too far gone. But what did they really expect out of their chase? What traitor has _ever _been let willingly back into the Leaf? That is, without chains or Anbu escorts. And Sasuke knew this. He knew that there was nothing left for him here. He was trying to save _them._ How much more would Sakura hurt if she saw Sasuke in chains, drugged, beaten, and demeaned as if he was never one of them? He was trying to sever the bonds that they had. He heard them, he always did. Their cries, their pleas, Sakura's many testaments of love—

Her eyes widened as shock overtook her.

Naruto tried to tell Sasuke how much she loved him. That's why Naruto flinched when he found that Sakura was still in love. Sasuke lost it when he was told this. He knew that Sakura's love for him was pointless, and this pointless love almost got him killed.

Naruto emerged from his room, his chest bare. He wore only his standard Shinobi pants and his hair was still damp from his shower. It's usually spikiness matched his mood as it fell over his face and dripped onto his shoulders. He moved slowly and mechanically to the table and sat. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to stifle her choked back sobs.

"Sakura." More tears fell as her sobs got louder. "Don't cry, please. Not for me. Not for Sasuke." He raised from his seat and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She cried against his chest and her fist grabbed his shoulders as she felt the water from his hair drip onto her neck.

"We can't—" She whispered harshly between sobs. "We can't keep doing this." He rested his chin on top of her hair. "We're killing ourselves, Naruto. This need to save Sasuke is eating away at us. I can't continue to love him, if hurting myself is the only result. He doesn't love me."

"Sakura…" He said into her hair.

"I was so mad when I found out you sent us on a false lead. Seething mad. Mad enough to neglect you, and I see that now. I didn't want to see your face. I didn't even visit you in the Hospital. But for that time, I forgot that we're all we have." She smiled sadly at this. "This realization was forced back into my mind when I found out that you were in a coma. And it was my fault for being ignorant to the fact that you were mad too. I'd never been able to forgive myself if something worse than deprivation happened. Sasuke's gone and…I have to be there for you, no matter what." He sighed into her hair, and then he kissed it. "Hang in there, Naruto. If only for me…_us. _It'll get better, I promise. I don't care how long it takes, or what it takes to get there, but we'll get better." She pulled back, smiling through her tears. He let his forehead rest on hers.

"I love you, Sakura." She blinked. His eyes…common words that they would share all the time…but something in his eyes told her that there was another depth to it now.

"I love—" He tilted his head and kissed her. His hands moved and cupped her face, wiping her tears with his thumbs. She closed her eyes and kissed him back.

There was the depth.

It ended as soon as it started. He pulled back and she looked at him through hooded eyes, dazed. Now there was something else that accompanied the soft look in his eyes, and for a moment she couldn't place it. Her eyebrows furrowed.

Regret.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that… done that." She heard it in his voice too. Taking a step closer to him, she cupped his face in her hands.

"Don't take it back, please." Naruto needed love right now. He was suffering. He was hurting, he just needed…to be _needed. _And these words, hearing it from him, saying it back, it might not mean anything to her right now, but that was okay. She would give him what he wanted if it could help him get back to where he needed to be. And what he wanted was a body, something real he could hold onto. And in a sense, it's what she needed, too. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sasuke wasn't coming back. He was slipping farther and farther from their grasp each time, and the thought just couldn't be fabricated as a reality anymore.

She didn't know how long it would take, or how much he needed from her, but she would be there. They were all they had.

"I'm here. I'll stay."

* * *

><p>"Here you go, Sakura." She shook her head. "You have to drink something." Another shake of her head. "You know, for a medic, you take really poor care of your body." She looked up at him and glared, grabbing the bottle from his hands. Her shaky fingers struggled with the cap. Sighing, she handed it back to him.<p>

"You're getting worse, you know that right?" She turned to him and glared.

"No, I'm oblivious." She sarcastically. He handed her the water bottle and she took a sip. Scrunching up her face, she held the water back out to him. Her face went back to her knees as the Interrogator light switched on.

"Okay, let's get this started." He opened his folder and placed it on the table in front of him. Then he looked back through the glass separating them. "Is she alright?" Kakashi gave him a cheeky grin and his patented eye crinkle.

"She's alright." He said cheerily. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm not alright." She barely finished her sentence before she gagged.

"Is she going to throw up?" The Interrogator asked. If she was sick, then the interrogation couldn't continue.

"She's not going to throw up." Kakashi said again, throwing her a pointed look.

"I'm going to throw up." She bit out, gripping her skirt. Kakashi pushed the water in her direction.

"Drink." He tilted her chin upwards and poured some water down her throat. When she swallowed, a cold look was casted towards him.

"I'm going to kill you." She slowly sat up.

"We can proceed." Kakashi said. The Interrogator hummed. She swallowed, leaning back against her seat.

"Last interrogation, huh. You four can finally get back to your mission and await the fruits of your labor." Sakura frowned.

"I know what you bastards are doing." She rasped. "You think you can get into my head. I know why you made this interrogation last." She turned and displayed her left shoulder. "You've forgotten I'm Anbu as well, so I know all of your tricks."

"Not quite. I was warned of you two by my superiors. They advised me that this would be the hardest interrogation, and because of this it should be last. Just following orders." She frowned. Her previous hunch probably brought on by Kakashi's conspiracy theories. "Speaking of following orders, Hatake, you seem to be a stickler for doing the exact opposite." He rolled his eyes.

"Should there be a consequence for that?" He asked mockingly. The Interrogator hummed.

"Well, considering we're in this room for those reasons, there might be." Kakashi frowned. "According to your file you used to follow the rules to the letter, but all of that changed." She closed her eyes as she felt Kakashi tense beside her. She knew this would happen, it was just a matter of when. To open the interrogation with this just proved Anbu has no care for emotions whatsoever. "But we won't get into that as of yet. Let's get into the relationship between you and Haruno." She exhaled. Maybe they weren't as heartless as Kakashi believed them to be.

"Sure." He said, rubbing her back.

"I don't like him." She said to the Interrogator.

"Oh, you don't mean that." Kakashi commented.

"No, I do. Truly." He reached for her arm. "Don't touch me, I'll stab you." He snatched it back.

"You're bluffing." She raised her eyebrows.

"Am I?"

"You don't have a knife."

"No, but I do have nails and chakra."

"Touché." The Interrogator sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose. They told him that it was going to be difficult. Even he wasn't prepared for this. He cleared his throat.

"Your relationships," He finally said.

"Apparently there isn't one because of her recently proclaimed feelings of dislike." Kakashi countered with a frown, crossing his arms across his chest. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Anyway, she was a student on one your Genin teams. Squad 7." He rolled his eyes.

"Duh."

"You never took a personal interest in her—"

"I could've told you that," Sakura chimed in.

"—why is that?" Kakashi shook his head.

"It's not that I didn't take a personal interest in her—"

"Bull."

"—it's just that her predicament wasn't as pressing as Sasuke and Naruto's. Naruto having the Kyuubi inside of him, and Sasuke being a flight risk. He still left, much to my dismay. Waste of time…" He muttered. "But she was also self-sufficient. When I would teach something, she'd be the first to catch on. So, I just had her teach the rest of them. I thought she was fine where she was."

"When she was taken under the Hokage's wing, and she'd gotten more powerful under someone else's tutelage, how did you feel?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Were you proud of her?" He pursed his lips.

"No, not really." The Interrogator furrowed his eyebrows.

"How about when she was the first on your team to become a Jonin at age 18?" He hummed.

"No," He said with a noncommittal shake of his head.

"18, is that not an impressive age to become a Jonin?" Kakashi frowned at his persistence.

"Considering I became a Jonin at age 12, no. Not at all." He stated matter-of-factly. "But my feelings weren't biased by my own experience, I just wasn't that impressed because the rest of her teammates were incapable of becoming Jonin at that time, and I knew that if they could, they would've. The question was kind of unfair." He finished.

"Let me rephrase my question, then. When were you proud of her?" Kakashi turned and stared at her sleeping form in admiration.

"When she asked me to sponsor her for Anbu. And then later on when she learned to control the power in her fists, and I watched as the organization transformed her into the powerful Kunoichi I never envisioned her to be." He shook his head at her, drool dripping from her mouth and sweat droplets on her brow. Her head hung over the seat. "Most recently when she got captured for me." The Interrogator wrote something down.

"We can go from there. Wake her up, or at least get her coherent." Kakashi tapped her shoulder and she flinched awake, her eyes wide. She stared back at him and calmed.

"Sorry," She mumbled, wiping drool from her mouth.

"How did you fall asleep that fast?" Kakashi whispered behind his hand.

"I really don't know. I laid back, next thing I know, I'm sleeping soundly." She said in confusion.

"Well, you just missed me complimenting you. Don't expect it to happen again." She frowned.

"I'll try not to get poisoned next time by my bastard of an ex-sensei. Maybe I'll be able to control my fatigue more." She finished, throwing him a pointed look. He shrugged as the Interrogator flipped through his manila folder, a guideline of questions she supposed. When he stopped, she braced herself.

"Sakura, how did you view Hatake as a Sensei?" She scoffed.

"A half-assed, poor excuse of a man who was always late and never cared." Kakashi gasped and placed a hand over his heart. "But I was also in awe of him, how he never showed any other emotion but a need to protect, and he always seemed to be there when I needed saving. Even now." She snorted, wiping her brow. "Not to mention avoiding three genin attack you at the same time while reading a book has to be some feat. I thought he was a little cool." He threw her a thumbs up. "Thought, past tense." He frowned.

"So when you say half-assed…" She sighed, rubbing her knees through the fabric of her skirt.

"I mean…I got a lot of approval from Kakashi as a Sensei. I was always the first to learn how to walk on trees or run on water…therefore, I was always the one who had to relay the lesson to Sasuke and Naruto. But then, stealing bells and catching cats turned into jutsu learning and one-on-ones. That's when I started to feel left out. And despite my voiced concerns as a child, which by the way, left me feeling more left out than I did before—"

"What do you mean, 'voiced concerns'?" She sighed again.

"I asked him why he gave Naruto and Sasuke so much more attention than he gave me, when in fact there was three genin on the team and not two. He told me that they just needed more attention. That I was self-sufficient, information that I already knew. I didn't say it but, I knew his excuse that day was a poor one, as all of his excuses are. They may have needed more attention at that time, but I was the third-wheel on the team. And you're only as strong as your weakest link. Considering I was _weak,_ there was a lot of times when I became compromised and the mission had to be deviated from so that I could be saved." She shook her head in memory. "What I couldn't believe is how time after time, Kakashi couldn't see that _something_ had to be done about my skills if I ever wanted to make it as a Shinobi. And that future, to me, looked very bleak, taking into account the stalemate I was at mission after mission after training after training. Oh, and not omitting the fact that Sasuke and Naruto became practically S-class ninja at age 12, while I was stuck reading books." She closed her eyes. Her feelings as a child overtook her as she talked about the past. She _hated_ talking of the past. This was a waste of time. Couldn't he just read her file?

"So, all in all, was Hatake a good teacher? Or at least…adequate." The interrogator placed his hands on his hips. She thought about lying, fabricating an answer that would fit what he wanted to hear, what Kakashi wanted to hear, or, what would look good in the Interrogation report. Opening her eyes, she frowned. Lying, he said, wouldn't push anything in her favor.

"No." She watched Kakashi's eyes narrow from her peripheral view. He didn't look at her.

"No?" _'He doesn't understand'_ she thought, sighing.

"Let me put it like this. Kakashi, as a teacher, gave me the essential basics that I'd need later on life. How to expel Genjutsus, how to throw kunai, how to form chakra, these were things I needed to know if I ever wanted to become a Shinobi. But beyond that, no." She finished.

"But you did evolve while in the Valley of Death, did you not?" She snorted.

"Yes, by biting someone until help came, and cutting off my hair. I was 12, and thinking back upon it, those 20-something year olds couldn't have been more than Chunin if they didn't settle for killing me on the spot. I bit them, for God's sake, and couldn't do anything else because I was bound by my hair. Nothing like that ever worked again, and I wouldn't dare try spouting Kakashi's motto to change someone's heart." She looked at him again, and she could make out the grim line his lips was in. He was angry. But why?

"So what _did_ he do?" The Interrogator asked. He was pushing it, and she knew this. He saw the expression on Kakashi's face.

"He influenced my reasons for becoming a medical ninja." She said. This needed to be over as fast as possible, so she could get on the ferry and lick her wounds.

"How?"

"I was too scared to fight, I didn't know how to fight, and if put in a life and death situation based upon fighting, I would die." She finished, her voice resigned. The Interrogator raised his eyebrows.

"And you feel that strongly about it?"

"Yes."

"Why?" She sighed.

"Kakashi doesn't sugarcoat anything for anyone, and if he had tried to lie to me that day, then where would I be? It was _because_ of his neglect that I sought out Tsunade-sama. It was _because_ he let me know the extent of my capabilities that I knew I wouldn't be able to make it as a ninja, and that I should spend my career doing something that I can excel at."

"Do you think he'd help you with Ninjutsu if you asked?"

"No."

"Why?" She closed her eyes.

"Considering he left almost a week after he found out that Sasuke defected, it wouldn't be possible to even muster up the courage to ask him. Would he have stayed for me? No to that too. He's a man for excuses, and one would probably go along the lines of 'There's plenty of people more suited for the job' or 'What can I teach you with my limited knowledge of earth type?'" She kneaded her fists into her eyes. "And just thinking of that makes me want to bash my head into a wall." She bit her lip. She couldn't stop the emotions from coursing through her body, and why just the thought of Kakashi's excuses for her as a child made her want to punch something. Hard. "What did he know about the Kyuubi? He was still able to teach Naruto a considerable amount before he left. I know he could've taught me something because he's copied more than a thousand jutsu, hence his moniker. He just chose not to. In his eyes, I was waste of time."

She glanced at him for the last time. When she saw how impassive his face was, she couldn't look at him anymore. He said nothing because he knew all of her words were true. She was baiting him, trying to get a rise out of him, but what was the point really? He'd be arguing for nothing. She knew that face, and she hated that face. It meant he resigned, and he was done trying. She _hated_ that face.

"You seem hurt by your childhood." He finally said. She covered her face with her hands and bent over. She took a moment to just _breathe._

"It wasn't the best." Kakashi scoffed.

"Tell me, Sakura. Tell me about your perfect childhood." She saw red. Without another thought she reached over her seat and took his throat in her two hands.

"What do you know?!" He remained calm.

"I know that you grew up with two parents who are _still_ alive and are _still_ together. That must've been rough, I know the feeling." She slapped him.

"What does that mean when they were never home? And when they were home, three things happened—"

"Family dinner, family photos, and bonding time?" She brought her hand back to slap him harder.

"Sakura, do not hit him." The Interrogator growled. The hand on his throat pushed him away, and his chair skidded.

"Either they're arguing, the house is silent, or they're bringing someone else home." She bit out. "I was 13 and my parents acted like children. I needed stability, and there wasn't any of that at home. Out of the confines of my home, I was being treated like I didn't exist by my Sensei." She bent over, digging her nails through her scalp, as she looked over her shoulder and glared at him.

"Tell me about them." She exhaled.

"No."

"Haruno—"

"My parents will in no way forward this interrogation—investigation, _whatever. _They have nothing to do with this." She drawled. The Interrogator sighed, and she heard the noise of papers shuffling. Sakura grimaced.

"You seemed to have trouble at home as a child because of your parents fighting. The night before the mission to receive the Peace Treaty at Kannabi Bridge, you went to your parent's house—" She shot up.

"How do you know that?"

"—and afterwards, you tore up a bar. The next afternoon, you…" He looked in the file as she fumed. "Reportedly went crazy, killed two of the Grass Country leader's advisors, strangled Uzumaki, bit and threatened to kill some nurses at the Hospital you were admitted to. If you didn't know, you're here for the first one." She fisted her hands in her skirt. "So if you please, I'd like to know about your parents. Starting with their occupations, and then branching off into the recalled trouble at home." Her nails were digging into the skin beneath the skirt now as she bit her lip, hard. Then, she exhaled.

"My father was Anbu, and my mother was a prostitute." She bit out as Kakashi turned and looked at her. She didn't bother to read his expression this time.

"That was classified, wasn't it? The members of his group were on a need-to-know basis, and I don't remember your name on the list." She narrowed her eyes.

"You don't remember that his child is seated in front of you, either." She retorted. "You want to be so secretive, this organization, yet you give each member a tattoo. Especially those in your 'need-to-know basis' groups." She replied just as icily.

"Continue." He said with a wave of his hand. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"My mother's pimp beat her." She stated. "When my father saw it in passing, he bought her out of her contract. Without her pimp, she became nothing, so she joined a strip club. The next time they met began their love story. My mother was 17 when they met, and my father was 26. The age difference was only 9 years, but my father was a Shinobi, so he didn't enjoy being tied down. Despite this, they married one year later, and I was born. But because they married young they had problems. My mother didn't want to stop working at the strip club, and my father didn't want to stop going. So, they stayed together for me, but they took an unofficial break. They brought home different flings, and sometimes my mother would cry and get drunk. When she was drunk, she told me everything. I was 11. End of story." He wrote something down in the folder and nodded.

"Okay. So moving back to your relationship. It's grown over the years, during and after Anbu." She narrowed her eyes. He rubbed a hand down his face and dropped the folder on the table. Sighing, he continued. "Alright, we're going to do an icebreaking exercise." She sat up.

"What does this—?"

"One more time, Haruno. One more interruption, one more question about _my _interrogation, and the council can deal with you as they see fit." He threatened. She slumped into her seat. "Like I was saying. Icebreaking exercise. Hatake?" He pursed his lips.

"I have no choice but to oblige." The Interrogator nodded.

"I'm going to say something, and you both will answer to it with one word at the same time. Understood?" Kakashi nodded.

"Whatever." She said. The Interrogator exhaled.

"Okay. One word that describes the other."

"Bastard."

"Annoying." Her head whipped around and met Kakashi's eyes with a cold glare.

"Again."

"Baka."

"Smartass." Turning away from him, she huffed an exasperated sigh. It was all she could do to restrain herself.

"One word that describes your relationship."

"Teacher."

"Student.

"Again."

"Captain."

"Subordinate." She pursed her lips, sending him another glare.

"Once more." He said.

"Teammate."

"Partner." Kakashi finished. They turned and stared at each other.

"One word that describes what you are to each other."

"Good friend.

"Constant." Kakashi said with closed eyes. Sakura's were full of shock as she slowly turned to look at him.

"Once more."

"Confident." They said, Kakashi's eyes opened, staring right back into Sakura's.

"Alright, Hatake." The Interrogator started, causing Sakura to break away from his gaze, exhaling in relief. "Now, you're known to be antisocial, detached, a hermit…I don't think I need to go on. But somehow, Sakura's managed to form a bond with you that's unexplainable by everyone else." Everyone else? "All they know is that you care about her enough to sacrifice your career. So, tell me about her. Talk about her as if she isn't here." She slumped in her seat.

"Like he doesn't do that enough already." She huffed as Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, there's really nothing more to say except that Sakura's a fighter." She turned and smiled at him. "A clingy, annoying fighter who tried her damn near hardest to break the metaphorical Village wall that I placed between her and myself. Myself and anyone who tried to get close to me for that matter." Her smile turned into a frown as she rolled her eyes.

"And here I thought you were complimenting me again." She muttered, he furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Flattery is once in a lifetime, Sakura. I'd hate to believe that you'd think this fact would change in an interrogation setting." Shaking her head in exasperation, she waved him away.

"Continue, Hatake." The Interrogator said.

"This began when I sponsored her for Anbu. Surprisingly, she was my first success. I've had three other Hokage-appointed sponsors, two of which failed the preliminaries. The last one passed, only to flunk the last mission." He rolled his eyes and scoffed in remembrance. "Because of my previous failures, I wouldn't sponsor anyone else because I wasn't producing anything fruitful—"

"Then why'd you sponsor Sakura? It couldn't be for the perks. She didn't enroll as a medical ninja. So what was it?" Kakashi sighed.

"I was getting to that." He then raised two gloved fingers. "Two reasons. One, I favored her. That and you can only sponsor one member from your squad, and I'd rather get her out of the way than to wait until her other teammates became eligible. Besides, I refused to be bunked with Naruto for 2 years, and I'd probably end up sending Sasuke to a faraway dimension." He finished with a chuckle. "Sharingan humor." He reassured. He then cleared his throat when he didn't get the laughs he expected. "The second reason being because Sasuke said that she couldn't." She turned and looked at him. "After two years with Sakura, my personal space was erased, my wall was knocked down, and she knows more drunk dirty secrets than I'd like _anyone_ to know." She snickered.

"Thanks for reminding me. That's blackmail for later." She whispered, nudging his arm. He answered her with a glare.

"Anyway, Sakura just…" He sighed. "She's annoying as hell, irritating, and every other synonym of the word 'pest'. She's brash and headstrong, a "Kunoichi's rights activist" He said using air quotes. "Her language, I'm sure, is far worse than mine, she can't hold down a beer, she's gullible, she's always picking fights, always in a mood, I mean the list goes on and _on."_ He stressed. "She's..." Her face slowly turned into a scowl, growing deeper after every characterization. Her eyes were glaring and her forehead was marred by deep wrinkles. She bared her teeth at each word that continued to leave his mouth. He ignored her. "But she's also intelligent, strong, and I have no problem with admitting to her superior tactical mind. She's always there for us, not to mention she's the glue that keeps each of us together. Without her…I don't know. We'd either be dead or lost in our own demons." He finished as she bit her lip.

"Here I thought flattery was once in a lifetime."

"I know. That's why I'm telling him the truth." Her baited breath released itself. "So I feel this strong sense of loyalty towards her. Protection, even. When we became partners, her life was put in my hands. She broke into my shell when I consented to trust and put my life in hers. At that point it was branded into my mind that we were a team, and a damn good team at that. We worked great together, period. So, we swore to protect each other in turn, at _all _costs." He ran a hand through his hair. "I…" He bit out.

"_I_ let her get captured." He finished through gritted teeth. "I could've—" He stopped again, putting his face in his hands. "There are many things I could've done. Naruto could've stayed with us, Sasuke even. Our squad could've killed them all, shattered their hopes and dreams of war by preventing them from getting one of our best. I would've slit her captor's throat the second they burst through the trees. I would've sliced my katana into his gut before he sent out his decoy men in front of him. I would've grabbed that bitch's hair the moment she jumped in front of me, before she had a chance to even move her hands to unsheathe her sword." She cringed at Kakashi's words. She's never really thought of him as a gentleman, but even she knew that he never associated women with such a derogatory term. She couldn't help but to be surprised. Everyone told her how they fared when she was captured.

Except Kakashi.

He's smiled in her face even when she treated him like shit. He came back to her each and every time trying desperately to fix the relationship that was crumbling to pieces because of…because of her. Kakashi never showed so much so much emotion at a time, and the hate in his eyes for the people of Grass country…they matched hers. They were thirsty for war with the monsters who left her picking up the pieces of her scattered brain. Scattered personality.

Scattered life.

She slowly inhaled and stared at his form. He was leaned back in his chair, his hands gripping the arms as he continued to speak. His eyes were dark and cold, and his lips stayed in its grim straight line with every word he spoke.

"I struggled to breathe every day because of the heavy weight of guilt on my heart, and the responsibility of her life bearing down on my shoulders. God, what would I have told her parents? It was a small miracle, their vacation. If only to prolong the inevitable." He finished shaking his head.

"So your unofficial mission…" The Interrogator prompted.

"We got word that lockdown was lifted, so we left as soon as possible. We had hope in her fate. We had hope that we could save her, and that's all we needed. Not fact, not doubt, not odds. Hope. It was all we needed and it was all we had." He wrote something down.

"That's not justification nor reason." He shot up.

"Should there be one?" He exclaimed. "She's Sakura, that's all there is to it!"

"That's not enough! Not if you want your head attached to your shoulders! Hatake, you brought _war._ Do you know that? You forced Grass's hand. They cut us off, eliminating many of our needed imports. We can't _afford_ war right now. All of our money is going toward finding another country to supply us with what Grass _use_ to!" Kakashi calmed. "Your actions were rash and foolish at its best."

"Had we not had a tactical plan in mind, and had I made rash decisions in the heat of the moment like I was _going_ to, wouldn't we all look like fools now? Grass was going to attack us at our lowest state of defense—midnight. Grass was going to extract Sakura, gaining valuable information from her mind. Now, had they gained this information, had we not tried to save our teammate, how foolish would I look then? I'm feeling like a goddamn hero if you ask me." He finished icily, "This wasn't treason. Disobeying orders, hell yeah. But we didn't do it to destroy the hierarchy. There was no malicious intent in mind, no motivation for an uprising. All we were doing was saving our teammate from a foreign country. That's not illegal." He finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No. But murdering innocent men, without provocation, just trying to protect their country? That is. Breaking families apart, killing husbands, fathers, sons, that's tragedy. That's devastation. Devastation creates heartbreak, and heartbreak creates vengeance. Vengeance creates war, Hatake. And that's what's happening now. War. You, Sakura, had the audacity to kill two of the Grass leader's advisors. Two! Brutally, in fact. You suffocated them inside of dirt and squeezed their bodies until they exploded." She opened her mouth to retort but Kakashi was much faster.

"They took us into custody! Unlawful custody that started this shit. You can't even blame Sakura because of what they did to her." He said with a scoff. "We were chained and drugged like criminals despite the Ambassador's pleas of his utmost safety. Despite him telling them over and over again that we were just escorting him home and not kidnapping him. Everyone has the right to due process, yet we didn't even get that! Pakkun's message to Tsunade-sama was intercepted, so they purposely didn't give us a chance to save ourselves. So, we took matters into our own hands." He finished firmly.

"Whose idea was it, Sakura?" The Interrogator started, looking down into his folder. She looked up at him. "Whose idea was it to forgo _all_ sense of humanity and kill all of those innocent men?" She glanced at Kakashi who continued to stare straight ahead. She sighed.

"It was m—"

"It was my idea." He cut her off quickly, then his gaze switched, facing her with cold eyes. "When we escaped from the room they kept us in, at least 30 ninja were on the ground level waiting for us. We would die if we were left to our own devices, one-on-one combat that is. If we wanted to get out of there alive, we would have to use our combination jutsu."

"So it was you who forced Grass's retaliation." He grabbed at his scalp.

"Forget about your suspicions of me for a second and pay attention to the small details!" He shouted. "After we escaped, it didn't take long for Grass to get word of their casualties. For a country like that, respond time for an attack is two days, minimum. They sent squadrons out the next morning! We were never really allies to begin with, just trading partners. We were cheating them out of their money and taking advantage of the power we had over them, being one of the Five Great Ninja Villages and all. How convenient is it that they were ready with a battle plan, already trying to get past our defenses while we were ignorant to all of this? Their ninja were ready for war while we tried to smooth talk them into a peace treaty." He shook his head and scoffed. "There was once a time when Konoha wouldn't hesitate to eliminate them off of the map. And now look at us, weak, licking our wounds from the last war. Accusing its best ninja when we could be nuking the whole damn country. This is ridiculous." Sakura closed her eyes.

"War was inevitable Interrogator-san. I really don't think that it was solely the two of us who forced their hand upon us. We may have been the fuel to the fire, but their plans were premeditated." She finished sadly. He closed his folder and sighed.

"Are we dismissed?" Kakashi asked as the Interrogator continued to stare at them.

"No." Sakura frowned.

"Then what—"

"Sakura you have to be re-evaluated in order to be eligible for continuing on with this mission. These are orders beyond me. You've been in all three of the interrogation sessions, therefore it's required of me considering your mental state. But if these question get too pressing, please, feel free to plead insanity." Kakashi turned and looked at her narrowed eyes.

"Gladly." She replied. He snorted.

"All right."

"So am I dismissed?" Kakashi asked skeptically.

"No, I think you should stay." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Okay…" He reached into the drawers connected to the table and pulled out a folder. Opening it, he licked his thumb and his forefinger and used it to turn the pages. He looked up, his eyes calculating and his face stern. "Watanabe Ren. Does that name ring a bell?" She froze almost instantly. Kakashi turned to look at her with narrowed eyes. "So you do. He's a spy from Suna. I guess our friends have their own suspicions of Grass." She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and blinked rapidly. Ren hasn't even crossed her mind since the first night on the ferry, and now…her heart clenched painfully.

"Explain your relationship with him." She cleared her throat, wiping her sweaty hands down her skirt.

"L-lover," Out of the corners of her eyes she could see Kakashi's scrutinizing gaze. "No, Um…ex-boyfriend." He nodded.

"Now, Watanabe alone caused you to trash a strip club, and then be admitted into the Mental Hospital, for the second time that month. What exactly did he do?" She folded her hands together.

"He cheated on me." He nodded again, looking down into the folder.

"With a Kimura—"

"How do you know that?!" She exclaimed. He pointed toward Kakashi.

"They all had to be re-evaluated as well." She slumped in her seat and covered her face with her hands. "So, if you would care to explain how this night went, that would make my questioning a hell of a lot easier." She slowly sat back up and sighed, trying to regain herself.

"He proposed informally before dinner with my mother. Apparently it was a men thing, because it seemed like my mother and I were the only ones who liked Ren." She grumbled with a shake of her head. "He made my father mad, and…" Her voice broke and she sighed again, running a shaky hand through her curly locks. "Um…later that night at the strip club, I found out that he uh…had sex with Kimura. So I lost it."

"And who's Kimura to you?" She closed her eyes.

"A f—ex-friend." Shaking her head, Sakura thought back to the girl who opened her eyes by ruining her life. It wasn't her fault that all men were just naturally attracted to her. Even more subdued men like Kakashi…

"Now Hatake, will you tell me about Kimura? In your detailed point of view, please." A fleeting expression of shock appeared on his face before his eyebrows furrowed. He quickly glanced at Sakura, and then his gaze rested on the Interrogator.

"Didn't Sakura just tell you everything there was?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"You're trying to get out of here, and I'm trying to make this as painless as possible. For the loyal Shinobi you all claim yourselves to be, you sure have a lot of questions when given orders." He said exasperatedly. Kakashi sighed.

"Kimura…" He looked up to the light above them. "She was my date that night for Hanako-san's dinner. Sakura's mother." He corrected. "I picked her up beforehand. Other than that, I'm not sure I've even seen her before." The Interrogator clicked his tongue.

"So what purpose would a random stranger serve at a dinner with Sakura's close family and friends?" He asked as Kakashi tapped his foot, annoyed. What purpose did these questions serve in a re-evaluation? He was prodding more than he should've been, and he was sure Sakura did not want to relive that night, or the aftermath that followed, anytime soon. Anytime, for that matter. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He doubted he and Sakura were on speaking terms in the first place. Although, she was giving him a hell of a lot of leeway during this interrogation. But he knew that outside of the room, the words she did speak to him would cease to exist. What went on in the room was the exact cause of it. Now he just wondered, how much more damage could be done throughout the short re-evaluation?

"We, Sasuke, Naruto, and I, knew that Ren was a player, but she didn't. We thought that bringing another female would bring out his piggish ways so that Sakura could deal with him before it was too late." Before she was foolishly married. She turned and looked at him, an incredulous expression plastered on her face.

"So, basically, you brought a blowup doll into my father's home to force Ren to want to have sex with her?" She started out in disbelief. "I mean, he did either anyway, but who wouldn't?" Sarcasm was laced in her voice. The Interrogator cleared his throat.

"Okay, a beautiful woman, Sakura's ex-friend, and a decoy chess piece. Why would she do all of this? Surely not for the betterment of Sakura. What would she get out of coming to the dinner He narrowed his eyes. "You know what I'm inquiring—"

"Is this the same inquiry that came up in my questioning? If so, it doesn't need to be repeated—"

"Hatake, did you have sexual relations with this woman?" He closed his eyes as the Interrogator spit out the question. Sakura's eyes were on him, waiting with baited breath.

"Yes." Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open.

"You had—" She started, her voice a high octave. "You had sex with her?" She exclaimed, the disbelief not hidden in her voice. Shock was frozen on her face as he exhaled slowly, his eyes still closed. "You had _sex_ with her?" She repeated more firmly. "You bastard! Why would you—"

"I'm a grown ass man, Sakura. I think I can do whatever the hell I want." He growled. Her eyes narrowed.

"My apologies. I suppose I have to be your age to be grown." She spat. "Last I checked, I was 23. I have my own apartment, my own career, and I support myself just fine. You shouldn't be trying to tell me what the hell I'm supposed to be doing with my life!" She shouted. "Ren was none of your concern in the first place, and the fact that I even entertained your opinions is crazy!"

"Sakura," He warned.

"You had sex with her, so the coincidence must've been when she turned out to be my ex-friend. I'm sure that wasn't fixed, either." She accused sarcastically. "But also to be your date…a _complete_ stranger? That's just foul-play." She finished, anger woven in her words as she stared him down.

"Sakura, stop." He said, this time more firmly.

"How disrespectful is that, Kakashi? Embarrassing me in my own home? Giving Kimura even the smallest satisfaction; I don't know why you didn't realize how upset that would make me. Didn't we always go back and forth about this with TenTen? Hell, I'm surprised she wasn't your date, if you really wanted to make an impact. But I guess Kimura performed just fine." She shook her head, scoffing. "You probably informed my father of your opinions as well. Taking into account the many lengths you would go to so that your point would get across, you probably got his boss to give him Sunday off. You told my mother about my boyfriend, which takes _balls _by the way, so I can't be far off. But the Kimura thing…it's hard to wrap my head around it." She finished in a whisper. Then her demeanor changed as anger bubbled inside of her. "So you can fuck anything that walks with breasts and ass, but the moment I _finally_ want something real…It's a slap to the face how you act like this. Your 'Do what I say, not what I do' attitude. You don't want me happy, and I've concluded that. Only because you're going around purposely doing things that you know will make my life miserable. Fucking Kimura, bringing her to my parents' house, bringing her to the strip club, sharing her with Ren—" His eyes flashed open.

"Sakura I said stop, dammit!"

"No!" She shouted back at him. _"No._ I've had…I've had enough of this, Kakashi." She said, her voice small and defeated. "I don't know your intentions, or where your mind is. Are we even on the same side anymore?" She asked incredulously. "I had something good going for me. Something good I held close to my heart. And you ruined that, Kakashi. You." She whispered. "I don't know whether or not you've been in love before. I can't really tell by the way you act with women." He immediately tensed, his jaw clenching and his hands fisted in his pockets. He looked straight ahead. "But if you have, you know that if you love someone, you can look past the bad things. Its flawed thinking, but I believe that no matter what goes wrong, everything can be fixed. You didn't give me a chance to fix things with Ren. You took matters into your own hands because of what _you_ thought, and you never took into consideration how _I_ felt. Despite the fact that I continuously told you to butt out, you didn't. Basically, what you were saying was 'fuck _your_ feelings, Sakura, I know what's best'." She exhaled a sigh, clenching her hands together to keep them from shaking. She bent over, holding them to her forehead. "Interrogator-san, if you know my low-tolerance level of triggers, _why…"_ She emphasized, her voice pleading. "Why would you ask him that?" The Interrogator closed the folder and replaced it in its drawer. "Why would you make me relive this?"

"Once we're done here, you'll continue en route to your mission destination. Given your medical background, you must go through the re-evaluation process in order to be eligible to complete your mission. Because of your previous mental breakdowns—" He paused as she looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows, confused. "I.e., killing grass advisors, trying to kill Uzumaki, biting nurses, trashing a strip club…" He continued, counting on his fingers for emphasis as she sighed. "—We reviewed the situation and tried to determine the stressor. A constant in these situations would be Hatake." He mouth flew open.

"That can't be accurate! Naruto and Sasuke were present as well!" He shrugged.

"Considering they weren't the ones who directly got you captured in the first place, or one of the indirect causes that led to your mental instability, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Kakashi had a part in all of the situations. The biggest scene occurring only recently, and based off of the conversation you two just shared, he had a pretty big contributing part in you going ballistic." She shook her head.

"It still doesn't make sense. If you're trying to make me eligible to complete the mission, why would you expose me to new stressors?" She asked in confusion.

"The situation happened very recently, so I concluded wisely that the topic was still fresh, and there isn't a doubt in my mind that the subject will raise at least once more during your month-long mission. Think about the effects in the long run. Had I not exposed you to this new bit of information, and you found out later, how do _you_ think you'd react? I hope not calmly. Your reaction because of the exposure to this unknown stressor wasn't a mental breakdown, but think about what would happen if you found out under different circumstances, worst instances? Your reaction then could compromise the mission and thus our relations to Yugakure. Would you want that on your head as well?" She inhaled and exhaled, slowly sitting up.

"Are we…" She started, her voice small. "Can we be dismissed then? If that's all…"

"Granted." He stated, the light to the room shutting off. She stood unsteadily on her feet and turned on her heel.

"Sakura—"

"Don't." She held the back of her hand. "I just want to get out of here. Can I do that?" She continued to walk toward the door, and heard the footsteps meaning he was following her. Apparently not.

"I didn't do it to hurt you, Sakura. That was the deal—" She spun back around to face him, her eyes wide. He stopped.

"Not only did you have sex with her, you had sex with her under _conditions._ So if free will wasn't bad enough, she'd only come as your date if she had sex with you. Am I right?" He didn't move. "So fuck a conscious, because if warning bells didn't go off at that, then just fuck all of the bullshit you said about caring for me and feeling a sense of protection over me. It was all bullshit!" She finished, the anger in her voice rising with each word. "If you wanted to fucking protect me, you wouldn't have gone and did what you did! You would've kept Ren a secret from me, and let me figure it out for my own damn self! If you wanted to fucking protect me, you would've done it 3 months ago, the _first_ time!" His eyes widened. "But instead, you took matters into your _own_ hands." She exhaled breathily. "I just can't—" She covered her face with her hands. "My body just can't take this much stress anymore. Especially not from you." She turned back around and started for the large door, but a hand grabbed her wrist. She immediately tried to snatch it back, but the grip was threateningly tight.

"Sakura, stop." He commanded.

"No, Kakashi!" She cried. _"Please." _Tears fell from her eyes down onto her cheeks as she used her free hand to try and break free from his grasp. His anger boiled.

"Look at what he was! He didn't deserve you!" He shouted. She shook her head as more tears fell.

"No. No, no, no. Don't bring—"

"I wanted to save you from something that would've manifested into a problem for the _both_ of us. If you're not happy, no one else is and you make sure of that. But you blatantly and outright ignored _my_ pleas and _my _cries. For what? _Love?"_ She choked out a cry from her throat.

"Stop, I said!" She said through sobs."

"No, _you_ listen!"

"_Stop…"_ She whispered her last cry as he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head.

"Sakura—" She fell backward, and a loud sound was heard as she collapsed to the floor. "Goddammit, Sakura!"

* * *

><p><em>Thank you, thank you. I'm sorry this one took a little longer, but I made it a little longer as well. If you didn't catch it already, please, please, please, I've revised the strip club scene from Clash Chpt. 13 to fit this chapter, so go brush up, review, read the whole chapter again if you need to, whatever you need to do, just go reread it! I appreciate all the reviews, seriously keep 'em coming. Stay tuned,<em>

_-Keoo19_


	19. Reparations

**Reparations**

* * *

><p>"I have <em>so<em> many reasons why you should really get out."

"Try me." She pursed her lips.

"Just the fact that I'm allowing your presence in my vicinity is a miracle of its own." He scoffed. Her eyes narrowed.

"Perception is key." He retorted.

"Don't flatter yourself, Kakashi. My placidity is only as a result of these." He finally took into account the shape she was in. She wore only her bindings, and she was positioned against the headboard of the bed. The thin scar still marred her face and her hair…her fallen curls fell in waves around her shoulders and the wisps of hair that covered her eyes formed her bangs. "I assume these were your invention." She flexed her bound wrists, unable to move them from her side. "They seem hand-made."

"Yeah well, I think you've outgrown leather bounds." She looked down at the static bands that crackled and shone around her wrists. They were small, and she knew she couldn't easily get out of them; if she could get out of them at all. That assessment made her realize that the bounds were made with her in mind.

"Nice to see you think so highly of me, Sensei."

"Don't flatter yourself, Sakura." She frowned. "I'm just stating the obvious." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You must've really wanted me to stay on this bed." She examined the bands again. "The Earth affinity is powerless against Lightning, hence these neat little gadgets you made just for me." The bed was shook rapidly as she struggled against her bounds. She stared at him until he turned his back on her, sitting at the foot of the bed. "I'm _really_ mad right now, Kakashi."

"Yes, seething. I can see," He said with a chuckle. She squeezed her eyes shut, tugging her wrists.

"You bind me while I'm unconscious just so you can come in here and mock me later on? While I'm helpless?" She sighed deeply while she shook her head. "I really want to test these static thingies, and my anger for you is limitless right now. But I'd _hate_ for us to be caught up in another spat." She finished sarcastically. He scoffed.

"I hope you're not making yourself out to be a victim." He turned slightly to match her gaze.

She tried to raise her arms in emphasis, but just the fact that she couldn't made her point. "I _am_ the one tied up here." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "And what exactly would make you the victim in this situation?" He sighed.

"I really don't like being deemed as inadequate, Sakura." He drawled as her eyes narrowed, her anger flaring.

"It's not about what you like, and it's damn sure not about you saving face in front of your Anbu buddies. It's about the _truth_, Kakashi. And I don't think an array of lies would look good in our interrogation report." His mouth was fixed in a straight line as he stood slowly, his hands fisted in his pockets.

"You know what, you're right. I should go. Like you always say, the past is the past. Let's keep it like that." He made his way to the door with his hand set on turning the knob before her voice interrupted him.

"Stop, Kakashi. Let's talk. About what you say?" She asked for him. "Hm…" She pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows in feigned thought. She'd put her finger on her chin, but… "Why don't we talk about the interrogation? Naruto let me in on a little bit of the chaos while I was comatose. It put me through…um, how many times did I stop breathing?" She asked him.

"Three." He stated, still facing the door, his hands still snug in his pockets.

"Three, right. What are the odds of that? My heart stopped three times in the span of an hour and I'm still here. Now I'm sure that factor makes the interrogation a little more of a pressing topic. All the other times we've talked, it was about my mental stability, fighting to keep our relationship from dangling off of a thread. Because of my outbursts, right? _My _actions. And now…I really don't know what we're fighting for anymore." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Chose your battles carefully, Sakura." He warned.

"I have." She replied. "Well, considering everything that we built and everything we have left is all being put on the brig with our next words. But then I concluded that there was nothing more that could be salvaged, anyway." His eyes narrowed as he turned around to face her, leaning back against the door. "So why don't we start with why I was bound? Was this because you were afraid of my reaction when I awoke? Don't get me wrong, you were right to have your suspicions of me, because I swear to Kami when I get out of these things…" She bit out through gritted teeth. Then she closed her eyes and sighed, composing herself. "Or are you just into this kind of thing? To each their own, I guess." She shrugged. He smacked his lips and smiled, a fake one at that. It didn't bother to reach his practiced eye crinkle. He backed into the door with his hands up in surrender.

"You know what, I can't do this." He turned around.

"Kakashi, I said stop." She stated firmly. His eyebrows raised.

"Ah, you have the makings of a leader." He started sarcastically. "I bet you'd make a great Captain." A slender pink eyebrow raised in challenge.

"Maybe you should take notes." He blinked.

"Huh." He rolled his tongue around the inside of his mouth. Then without another word, he opened the door.

"Kakashi—"

"Yes, taichou?" She frowned.

"I said stop." He gave her a slight smile.

"Yes, and your powers of persuasion _amaze_ me." Her nostrils flared.

"So why'd you come, huh? You're on your way out and I'm positive your objective has not been met." She finished icily.

"Well, _Sakura,_" He started, leaning forward with his hands on his hips. "There's a bad vibe in this room, and I'd rather be anywhere but here right now." She narrowed her eyes. "We're feeding off of each other's mood, and it'll only get worse. So before feelings are hurt and regretful words are said…"

"Kakashi." He patted the door frame and turned back around.

"I'm leaving."

"Kakashi—"

"_What_, Sakura?" She pursed her lips.

"We're going to talk." He scoffed.

"You don't listen, do you?" Her eyes widened.

"Oh that's just rich coming from you." She spat. He shrugged.

"The game has changed and you know it." A scowled appeared on her face.

"My ass." He shook his head.

"I'm tired, okay? Of _this._" He finished with an exasperated sigh. "I can't do this right now." Her mouth fell open.

"I don't believe it." He ran a hand through his hair. "The double standard on you is _amazing."_ She said incredulously.

"Sakura, not now." He warned, his eyes closed and his fist kneading into his temples as he leaned against the door frame.

"It's always about you, isn't it?" She closed her eyes as anger bubbled inside of her. "How _you_ feel, what _you_ think is best, whatever the hell _you_ want to do—"

"This!" He slammed his fist into the wall. "This, Sakura! This is why we can't "talk." We're always two words away from a fucking argument!" He barked. She narrowed her eyes. "Now you're angry, and I'm fucking _furious…_ We're both mad as hell and nothing will be resolved because both of us have our heads stuck too far up our own asses to actually _listen._ Just…" He sighed and moved to sit in the armchair positioned in the corner. He slumped down into it with his head in his hands. "I'm tired of fighting." She huffed.

"We're only here because of you." He scoffed.

"Right, because this was _my_ fault. The blame game always goes over so well." She struggled against her bounds.

"_That's _it! You! You're always, always, _always_ right. I can't do anything without you breathing down my neck! It's either Kakashi's way, or—" She paused. "Now that I think of it, according to you, there is no other way. So fuck you, Sakura. Fuck your feelings, fuck love…" She bit out angrily. "I don't give two shits about what _you_ think because I'm always right." She scoffed. "You spouted all of this, this _bullshit…_You were so set upon protecting me from Ren, yet there _you_ were, behind the scenes, _screwing_ Kimura—"

"Stop right there, Sakura." Her eyes narrowed.

"Did it feel good, Kakashi? Knowing damn well what you were doing." The sarcasm bled through her words. "On top of fucking her, you brought her to my parent's house when you shouldn't have even been there yourself. Everything that happened after that was relatively your fault, even the unsatisfactory feeling you left Kimura with, seeing that she sought out Ren—"

"Stop dammit!" He shouted, slamming his fists down onto the arms of the chair. He huffed exasperatedly, rubbing his face up and down. "You're always trying to start a fight, Sakura. What do you want from me, huh?" He finished tiredly.

"I want you to show me _something._" She growled through gritted teeth, her hands balled into fists. "I want to see something other than that unfeeling aura you shrouded yourself with. You can't even take credit for what you've done." She whispered, closing her eyes. "I love him, Kakashi. And you ruined all of that. You slept with Kimura and…and you ruined all of that." She finished, her voice small.

"You really believe it was my fault?" She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued before words could come out. "Do you honestly think he wouldn't have done what he did with another woman? It would've been worse because it would've been behind your back." He left out the part about this actually happening. "Where would we be now, Sakura? Surely not here. Not like this. How did  
>you—" He stopped, regaining himself. "As a matter of fact, if I had kept that to myself, nothing would've changed. I would've still gotten the 'I hate you' I heard, right?" She looked away.<p>

"So this is how it goes, huh? This is how it will end. Someone's feelings are going to get hurt. And let me give you a hint, Kakashi. It won't be yours." He chuckled.

"Oh really? We're going to do this? Now?" She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"You'll never own up to anything a day in your life, will you?" His jaw visibly clenched.

"You know—"

"Shut-up." She interrupted, pointing her manicured digit, her hands still glued to her sides. His eyebrows furrowed as he was taken aback. "You couldn't do it as a Sensei, you couldn't do it with Sasuke, and you damn sure can't do it now." She spat. "You just sat there and chewed me out like you always do, but the first second the tables turn, it's 'I can't do this right now.'" He sighed, massaging his temples. He was getting a headache and he was getting angry. If there was one person who could bring him to his boiling point, it was her.

"That's because I know my limits, Sakura. I know when to stop. I don't want us going somewhere we can't come back from."

"Haven't we already?" She cried angrily. "You made my life a living _hell_ with your conspiracy bullshit, and then you slept with someone knowing full well how it would make me feel. You _willingly _did all of this to bring me to a state of incomparable pain, spouting your nonsense about only wanting to protect me, yet you have the _audacity_ to beg me to accept, forgive, move on…" She sputtered, the tears flowing from her eyes to her mouth mixed with her fury-filled words. "Don't you know that I slept with him? Do you know how _horrible_ it feels to give everything to someone, someone you _thought_ loved you? Who you thought would be your hus—" The word stopped short in her throat, blocked by the strangled sob trying to escape. She exhaled heavily, her eyes narrowed. "But you haven't shown any remorse for what you've done. I'm hurting and you insist on talking your big talk filled with wise words and a false sense of care. You planned all of this, so now what? What's the plan for dealing with my broken heart now?" She shook her head. "The one time it mattered…I wasn't even worth an apology. Two simple words…" She whispered. "But I guess you and your ego are too above me for that." He raised himself and began to walk toward her.

"Sakura."

"Fuck you!"

"I'm sorry." She froze. Shaking her head, she regained herself.

"I swear to Kami if you take another step, I'll—"

"You'll what? Kill me? I made sure to cover my bases." He said with a chuckle, nodding at the bands around her wrists as he approached the bed.

"Don't fucking touch me!" He sat down on the bed, pulling her body to his. She was crushing his hands, pushing her back into the headboard trying to avoid his embrace. "I said don't touch me!" She released her force and he quickly tried to pull her closer. She gave in to his pull, giving him a short victory. His success blinded him from the forehead aiming straight for his. "You don't listen!" She spat. He was momentarily stunned, a concentrated throbbing in the middle of his forehead caused colored circles to flash behind his blinking eyes. Then he continued pulling her toward him.

"No, you don't listen." He forcefully pushed her head onto his shoulder and she grunted in surprise. "I'm sorry." He whispered. She bit her quivering lip as she began to struggle.

"You can't just apologize and, and _hug me_ and think everything will be fine!"

"Yes I can." She froze. Tears stung in her eyes as she slammed her shoulder into his chest. He gasped in pain.

"No you can't! You—"

"Sakura, just shut-up, man." She blinked, the first line of tears falling. "I was naïve. I have to admit that, at least." He sighed. "I didn't factor your feelings into anything. I forgot…I forgot that you had a heart. It was the one variable I didn't consider. I've never hidden the fact that your tactical mind is superior to mine. It's…" He paused, closing his eyes. "It's been hard, hasn't it? I'm supposed to be your partner, but I can't even stand by you." He snorted. "I've been a bastard to you, Sakura. I'll even go as far to say I've acted like a bitch about you and Ren, running around trying to break the two of you up.

"I ignored the fact the fact that you loved him. I ignored that because of what he was doing to you, and it reminded me of…it reminded me of myself. I was foolish, Sakura. I put our friendship in danger because of my stubbornness. I slept with Kimura and it was for the wrong reasons. Just…" He nuzzled her neck and breathed in the faint smell of jasmine in her hair. "I don't know how many times you want me to say it, so I'll say it until you hear me." He pushed her closer to him. "I'm sorry." He heard her inhale sharply, and she released it in a muffled sob, forcing her body to contract into his. He tightened his hold around her and formed a hand seal behind her back. "Kai." The static bands dissipated and her arms flew around his body. She continued to cry.

That…that was closure.

* * *

><p>She wrapped another layer of gauze around her breasts as wet hair dripped onto her lower back.<p>

If she could move a bit faster, she could get to the debriefing. Whatever happened while she was comatose had her limbs as light as lead. She scoffed. Taking the gauze in her mouth, she tore it from the roll with her teeth. She finished wrapping it, pressing it tight against her side. She stepped into her panties before she shuffled out of the bathroom.

"Kami," She breathed, bending over to her suitcase. She kneeled before it and unzipped the largest compartment, feeling around for a smaller opening and found it on the underside of the flap. Upon opening it, she found her standard Shinobi pants and a manila folder. She pulled on the pants and tucked the folder under her arm.

"You're getting rusty—"

"Ah!" She shrieked, turning to the voice with a hand over her heart. The folder fell from her grasp and splattered onto the floor. "Seriously?" He shrugged.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings. People get killed like that." She frowned, watching his closed eyes, relaxing against the headboard of the bed.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to stay here and be a perv." He rolled his eyes.

"Perv? You're fully clothed." She raised an eyebrow.

"I was in my panties, Kakashi. That doesn't raise any inhibitors for you to say something? I could've been stripping." His eyes widened.

"Haruka Tan? Stripping? I can't believe it…" It was her turn to roll her eyes.

"And you wonder why I wasn't roomed with you." She finished with a huff. "But you're here, so can you help me up?" She asked as he frowned. "What?"

"I can't exactly…_touch_ you." Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, _now_ you have qualms about touching me." He shook his head.

"It's about your condition." She frowned.

"My condition?" He nodded.

"From the incident." She fingered her chin.

"Incident—"

"Would you stop repeating everything I say?" He huffed a sigh. "I poisoned you with alcohol. You remember, I know you do because you won't let me forget it. The nurses told me that drugs with alcohol is bad because—" She smacked a hand to her forehead.

"Coupling poison with alcohol is the worst you could've done! My body regularly accepts alcohol, so that and the poison was accepted into my system until my body found out what it was. So this whole time, that poison you gave me wasn't reacting to the sedatives they gave us back at the base, my body was reacting to the alcohol amounts _inside_ of the drug. I was already rid of the poison but my body is still trying to rid itself of alcohol!" He furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't become a medical-nin for a reason.

"So is that a good thing?" She threw him a glare.

"No! You made me consume poison, how could that be a good thing?" He cringed.

"Could you stop calling it a poison? It makes me seem like a bad person." She rubbed a hand over her forehead. _"Besides,_ it was a drug, it wasn't poison." She sighed heavily.

"You stupid, stupid man." He blinked.

"I'm just trying to see the wrong in this situation. Your body rid itself of the poison, so it _is_ a good thing." She rubbed a hand down her face, closing her eyes.

"_Baka, Baka, Baka…"_ She whispered under her breath. "My body is trying to rid itself of alcohol." She drawled through gritted teeth.

He gestured at her with his hand. "So…" Her lips formed a straight line.

"_So?_ The body produces 28.3 grams of alcohol a day!" He winced, making the 'ooh' sound.

"Yeah, that's bad."

"You think? Now, because of _your_ dumbass, I can't even drink alcohol anymore!" He made the 'ooh' sound again. "Oh, would you cut that!" He tried to hold back a smile as amusement played in his eyes.

"So, on a scale of one to ten, how sick would you get if you were to, I don't know, drink alcohol?" Her nostrils flared.

"I stopped breathing _three_ times because of my body trying to rid itself of alcohol." She said through gritted teeth. _"So,"_ She started, mocking him. "Just take a guess." He put a finger on his chin.

"7.9. Final answer." She covered her eyes.

"Damn you, Hatake Kakashi."

"Stop your ranting, woman." She threw him a glare as he stretched his arms over his head and proceeded to swing his legs over the side of the bed. "Well, I've accomplished my goal of being late for the debrief, but I doubt Sasuke and Naruto are doing anything anyway." '_Baka, Baka, Baka,'_ She thought, her glare carving imaginary daggers into his chest as he walked towards her. "So, if your body is alright with me touching her, I'll help you up so we can go."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This might be the one mission Kakashi needed his genitals for, and she felt like castrating him wouldn't help while he was trying to court Mei.

* * *

><p>"I'm convinced." She said to herself, rubbing her temples to will a headache away. "The best Ninja Fire Country has to offer are idiots." Kakashi and Naruto shouted obscenities at the women on the television as they drank complimentary beer. "If I could just strangle them and not have them die…" She shifted on the bed, crossing her legs in front of her.<p>

"Oi, Sakura-chan, cheer up!" Naruto exclaimed, sloshing his almost-empty beer bottle in the air.

"He's right, Sakura. We never get the big room!" She sighed. She was going to have to strangle him. He was just going to have to die.

"And that's because you act like this, Kakashi." She turned around to see Sasuke, throwing back an energy drink as he read his profile.

Their eyes met.

Her breath hitched as memories flooded before her eyelids. She blinked rapidly and averted her attention.

"Can we just finish?" She watched as Naruto pouted, moving to take a seat beside her. Kakashi plopped down into the armchair adjacent to the bed. He finished off his beer. "You shouldn't be drinking before noon, anyway." He rolled his eyes, placing the empty bottle on the end table beside him.

"Yes, mother." She frowned.

"_Anyway,_ going over things, the Daimyo believes that I'm a hired exotic dancer. So that means this plays out to the T; no slacking, no releasing henges—" She threw a pointed look at Naruto. "Or our cover's blown." Kakashi nodded.

"Right, and on top of that, Naruto and I won't even be making an appearance until Sakura is a guaranteed dancer at the Kansai Lounge. By Saturday, I hope?"

"That's a little pressure…" He shrugged.

"That's kind of what I'm going for." She frowned. "Look, it's only Wednesday. You have time."

She scoffed. "Yeah, about two days."

"You'll be fine." And then he smiled, making her wonder what her brother would look like if she had one. "Anyway, Sakura, you'll be glued to Sasuke. You're timid—"

"Except for when I'm beside a pole."

"—and you're not allowed to show your body unless you're on the stage. Sasuke's a control freak, so he wants you all to himself, within reasonable limits, that is. Keep that in mind, and keep your attitude in check. Hand holding, intimacy…I don't know what the two of you need to do, but when the Daimyo assigns you your quarters and gives you a mission debrief, the both of you need to look like an actual couple." He threw a look at Sasuke. "And Sakura," She looked up from her folder. "No speaking to the Daimyo unless spoken to." She nodded. "I don't know if I'm missing anything..." She raised her hand. "Go ahead." Sighing, she proceeded.

"I'm an exotic dancer, and metaphorically speaking, because of Sasuke, Sai in actuality, I can't remove my bottoms unless I'm in the room with a client. This means I'll be topless all the time."

"What's the clientele rotation? How does that work?" Naruto asked. She pursed her lips.

"Yuuki's Executive CEO at the longue, so he oversees the clientele rotation. Being Executive CEO, he placed himself as Mei's handler. Handler meaning controlling her clientele. That meaning, he picks her list based upon money and most of the time age. If your handler thinks that a client is too old, they'll put them on the dance list or deem them a hands client. But some handlers are cruel, so they'll just give you whatever clientele they believe will make them the most money. That's why we need Sasuke to get a job with Yuuki as my handler. I'd rather get more hands clients than anything else." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"And they are…?" She tried to gesture with her hands but quickly gave up.

"Some men are such disgusting pigs that they become a hands client who justify just touching a woman as not cheating on their wives." Naruto frowned. "Yuuki likes to keep Mei to himself, so she doesn't go bottomless either. He tries to limit her sex as much as possible, and he does that by giving her more hands clients and dances. But the money's there, and he won't turn that down. Even so, he'll give her more oral clients over anything. But I can't…" She touched her mouth and almost gagged. She inhaled and exhaled deeply to recover herself. "Sasuke will make a money deal with him to become my handler, and all of that is based upon favor. Favor is based upon my popularity, the crowd I attract."

"For a Prostitute who frequented clubs, Sakura had a fast-growing fan base on the three month Anbu mission in Snow. I have no idea why the Land of Hot Water is importing from the Land of Snow, but that's where the Hidden Hot Springs Village gets all their porn. I'm almost positive she's known." Naruto had a grim look on his face, and the wrinkles that appeared from his eyebrows haven't moved since the beginning of the conversation.

"When we first got news of the mission, you said she was a Prostitute. Then you said she was a Prostitute turned exotic dancer. I don't…" Kakashi's finger danced around the mouth of his empty bottle.

"That Anbu mission was an assassination. Sakura had to build a name for herself, so that when the Ambassador supposedly raped her, people would care. It was a Genjutsu, but he didn't know that and no one else did. He was shamed of course, and with him being such a prominent figure, that provided cause for suicide. So, Sakura went back and finished the job with a traceless poison. It was only a stroke of luck that he had various pills in his home, setting up the clause for a crime scene. Seamless overdose." Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Because Haruka was raped, she turned to the less dangerous life of an exotic dancer, or uh, stripper. It unknowingly set the backstory for this mission. I won't take my bottoms off on the stage, and I won't have sex." She finished.

"So how are you supposed to attract a crowd without that? How _did _you attract a crowd without that?" Naruto questioned.

"Men just like my face, I guess." She shrugged, a complacent smile on her face.

"So…you _won't_ be having sex?" She shook her head. He rolled his eyes. "Well, isn't that a relief." Naruto finished, wiping his brow. She bit her lip as Kakashi threw her a look.

"That's not exactly—"

"Remember the Hot Springs, Naruto? My mother said there's no place like Yugakure, and trust me, she's been _everywhere_." Kakashi frowned as she deviated from the topic. She quickly glanced back at him.

"I forgot all about that! Do you think they're co-ed? Because…" He rambled on about how it's never fun closed in with Kakashi and Sasuke. She gave him a brief smile, just to show she was listening. She felt Kakashi's gaze on her.

He wanted her to tell Naruto, of _all_ people, that she might have to have sex with a strange man? A strange man who, probably has sex with women on a daily basis! Naruto's brash. He'd kill Yuuki the second he found out, and he'd probably get away with it too. The mission would be over before it even started. And while that would leave them with a lot less work to do, it would leave them with a bigger mess.

"I'm personally changing my name to Yamakaze Kenji. I've been thinking about it for a while, and it sounds a lot better on the tongue than Kumaji. It really captures my essence. Don't you think, Sakura?" She was caught staring into her portfolio. "Sakura?" She looked up at the second mention of her name.

"Oh, sorry—"A small bird appeared on her shoulder in a puff of smoke. In surprise, she smacked the animal off of her shoulder and into Naruto's lap.

"Sakura!" Her hands covered her mouth as he handed her the bird.

"You know, Konoha's not going to have any birds left if you keep that up." Kakashi said, amusement in his eyes.

"I know, I know. But can you at least give me a warning next time?" She whispered to the bird.

"Remind me to keep my hawk away from you." Sasuke said with a smirk on his lips. She frowned, pulling the scroll from the bird's leg. It disappeared just as the scroll transformed into a larger one. She opened it and her eyes scanned through it. It was short and to the point, and she didn't know how it could be; a letter with that kind of substance. Shock was written all over her face and her eyes were as wide as they could get. She snapped the scroll shut and dropped it in her lap, not wanting to even feel it in her hands.

"What did it say?" Kakashi asked. She turned to him, her face unchanging. His head jerked back. "Sakura?" She blinked. He leaned forward, his hand waving in front of her face. He settled on snapping his fingers. She shook her head fervently and reassured him with a small smile.

"Uh—" She cleared her throat. "It was just, um…" She trailed off, looking at the forgotten piece of parchment paper in her lap.

"Sakura?" Naruto said, trying to meet her gaze. She met his eyes and blinked.

"Oh, right. Um…it's nothing, it's just…it's something from Shishou…" She looked back down to the paper and frowned. Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"Then why are you biting your lip?" She unclenched her teeth and released her bottom lip . Then she sighed.

"It's fine, just…" Her fists balled. "Could you guys give me a second?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed.

"But this is _our_ room." He argued. She bit her lip again.

"I know, I know, but—"

"You get used to it, Naruto. The whole 'rooming with Sakura' thing. You learn how to acquiesce." Kakashi said, his voice resigned. He rose and walked the short steps to the bed. Pulling Naruto by the lapels of his shirt, he dragged him to the door. A look of disbelief was still plastered on his face as Sakura continued to stare at the scroll with ambivalence.

"But I'm not even roomed with her, it's—it's _our_ room!" Kakashi patted him on the back as they left the room. She felt the weight of the bed shift as Sasuke got up, intending to follow them.

"No, not you." She whispered. "You stay." He pointed a finger to his chest.

"Me?" She rolled her eyes, despite the feelings brewing in the pit of her stomach.

"No, the Sharingan user beside you." Sarcasm dripped from her lips as Sasuke walked back over to the bed. He stood in front of her. "Sit down, please." He moved and sat in the chair Kakashi previously inhabited. She exhaled deeply and rubbed her hands on her knees. "I want to say something." He nodded. "But I can't do it with you staring at me." His eyebrows furrowed but he consented, closing his onyx eyes. She felt it wasn't good enough. Moving quickly, she uncrossed her legs and turned behind her, grabbing one of the smaller pillows and stripping it of its case. She slid off of the bed and tiptoed in front of him. She slowly wiggled her fingers in front of his face and he caught her hand mid-wave. She sighed.

"I'm really confused, Saku—" She pulled the pillowcase over his head. "What the hell are you doing?" The pillowcase was black. That helped, a bit.

"I don't need you looking at me." She heard him smack his lips.

"So…you think suffocating me is going to help with that?" He asked.

"Breathe slowly and don't panic, you'll be fine." She heard the exasperation in his breaths.

"Sakura—"

"Sasuke, I really need to say this, so if you would just…please?" He sighed again, this one of resignation. She took that as his agreement and she sat back down on the bed, crossing her legs as she grabbed the piece of parchment paper from beside her and threw it back in her lap. She took a deep breath. "Naruto and I talked this morning, after I woke up. We talked about two years ago, that in conjunction with your interrogation with me—"

"Sakura, don't." He whispered, holding up a palm. She shook her head.

"Just let me finish, Sasuke." She folded her fingers in her lap, focusing on her cuticles. "He told me that you talked to him about what happened after I left for Anbu. I couldn't help but believe him because I know Naruto is the one person you'd never lie to." She scoffed, a bittersweet smile on her lips. "He told me about how TenTen saw me run out in tears and she came to you. He told me how you were angry, you know? I mean, I understand. Two years is a long time, especially with us, especially with how long we've waited for each other. And I..." She exhaled, closing her eyes. "Anger makes you blind. Along with your anger, you had sexual frustration. You knew what you wanted to do, but when you saw TenTen, you thought twice about it. He told me how you didn't want to have sex with her, but you were at a loss for what to do. You just needed someone to talk to, and she was there. She was there with Sake and beer." She pressed her lips together, trying to release her anger. "And I know your alcohol tolerance is really low, that's why you're never seen drinking unless Naruto's around. She…she lowered your inhibitions and you had sex with her. He told me how you expressed your disgust with yourself, how you left early the next morning, how you expected her to be gone when you returned, but…it was just your stroke of luck that you came back a few minutes before I came to you, and…" Her voice broke. She covered her mouth with her hand. "And how she wasn't gone. I didn't even give you a chance to speak at the interrogation because I'm just so goddamn stubborn and so quick to assume…

"I'm the one always crying about reminders yet I keep bitching about the past. And for that, I'm _sorry._" She wiped her nose and the brims of her eyes. "We've grown past it but I keep trying to revisit it, trying to find a reason to argue, another reason to strengthen my hate for her…I'm in the process of just letting it all go, and it's…it's hard. I was wr—" Her sentence was cut short as she was pulled by her arms into his embrace. She was overtaken by shock and surprise.

"Stop your rambling already." She bit down onto her lip again and hugged him back. "It's fine, Sakura. And I can only hope that we're fine, too. I don't want to lose you again." She nodded against his chest, not daring to take in the depth of his words as she tried to remember the last time they did this. "I can't remember either." She pushed him off of her.

"What did I tell you about that?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"It was an accident," He said innocently with a shrug. She placed her hands on her hips.

"Really. An accident. How exactly do you "accidentally" turn on your Sharingan?" She accused using air quotes. He sighed.

"I'm trying to figure out what's upsetting you. You've gotten that off of your chest, so now what?" He stared at her with unfamiliar scrutinizing eyes; this expression of his concern new to her. "If it's about the topless thing, I've seen you without your bra on." And then she fumed, her curiosity all but lingered as she punched him in the chest.

"Get out of my head, Uchiha!" She snatched the pillowcase from atop his head and smacked him with it. He quickly deactivated his Sharingan. A smile played on his lips.

"You are so predictable. Thanks for that, though. It was hot in there and it was starting to get really hard to breathe." He massaged his throat as he fell back against the bed, throwing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. "What's on your mind, Haruka?" She sighed and sat on the bed beside him.

"My role." She stated, her thought incomplete to him as his eyebrows furrowed.

"What about it?" She interlaced her fingers together, pushing her thumbs into one another as she contemplated an appropriate response.

"Well…" She closed her eyes. "It's about Yuuki."

"Mhm-hm,"

"And…and the Daimyo stated in the request scroll that I was to do whatever necessary to woo Yuuki and get him uninvolved with Mei." She said unsurely.

"Mhm-hm,"

"And he's supposedly abusing her, but he's professed his love for her a thousand times over, and in the scroll it claimed that Mei was infatuated with Yuuki, so he has to be doing something right for her to see past the bad." His eyebrows lowered.

"Mhm-hm…" He sounded slowly, trying to understand what she was getting at.

"And I mean, there are ups-and-downs to every relationship, and just because he's just a little harsh during sex doesn't mean he's downright abusing the girl...Who am I to break up two people who are in love?" His eyes opened, narrowed and calculating as he stared at her. She stared back at him, biting her lip.

"You're a Ninja of the Leaf Village, Sakura." She sighed, annoyed and frustrated. That wasn't the answer she wanted. He pursed his lips. "Well, say she is, Sakura. Say she's so in love with this man that she decides to look past his so-called flaws and impurities. She ignores the acts that he's taken to with her, and she believes that she's just so smitten with him…She ignores all the advice she's given on this man although the people near her have the possibility of being right—"

"This is not about me, Sasuke." She growled. He held up his palm, stopping her.

"Let me finish." She scowled, her fingers tightly woven together. "She just needs a kick, to open her eyes. It may hurt her, but in the end, it'll be for her own good." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't about us, Sakura. This is about what the Daimyo is "paying" us to do, and it's about our duty to fulfill the mission. But then again, I don't even think that's what _this_ is about." She bit her lip.

"I have to do whatever's necessary, Sasuke." He tilted his head forward, prompting her to continue. She took a deep breath. "I might have to have…_you know,_ with Yuuki." He blinked suddenly, but other than that he didn't seem to be fazed.

"If that's what it comes to, then yes. You'll have to." She shook her head.

"That's not what I want to hear." He sighed, rubbing his eyes this time.

"Well, it's not really about that right now is it?" She frowned. "What I'm saying is, if worse comes to worst, then I suppose some things may have to happen. But—"

"Genjutsu isn't an option?" She asked, her voice small.

"Sakura…" He started tiredly. She shook her head softly.

"Look, Sasuke. Being, you know, _with_ Ren…it left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather not do it again. Until I'm ready, at least. And now to have to do this under these circumstances? Especially since…" She looked back to the scroll in her lap.

"If that's the case then, I'll just have to try my best to help you with your Genjutsu skills then. If you're going to use it, it has to be seamless. And the essence of it comes from imagination, so that means a lot of preparation. You can't just go dry in the middle of it, you'll never recover. So tonight marks the first of many that we'll have to watch some real dirty porn. I hope you can stomach it." He paused, noticing her expression. "Uh…That's not it either, is it. So what other hoops will we have to jump through?"

"It's the scroll."

"Ah," She folded her fingers together.

"It was about us, our place in the mission. We, uh…" He narrowed his eyes.

"We what?" She sighed, trying to find the right words.

"We'll have to…We _have_ to—"

"Sakura, spit it out." He prompted. She huffed.

"It's an upscale establishment, and Shishou bluntly pointed out that, you know…there will be times when we're in a room together." He pursed his lips.

"Like now?" She shook her head.

"_Alone." _He looked around.

"Like now?" He failed at holding back the laugh breaking through his words. She placed a hand on her forehead.

"With a _bed,_ Sasuke." She finished, gesturing with her hands. He smiled.

"Will there be a couch in this setting?" She rolled her eyes. He wasn't taking this seriously, and she was almost at the fist-frustration point in the conversation.

"People are going to be _around—_" She paused, making a large circle with her arms. "With the assumption that we're…we're—"

"If you're suggesting that we'll have to have sex a few times throughout the duration of this mission, that was information I already possessed." She huffed, the relief that she didn't have to say it overwhelming her.

"So—"

"I was baiting you, yes. For someone who's had sex, you sure do act like a virgin." Her cheeks tinged pink.

"Shut-up, you bastard." She grumbled. He smirked.

"That's why the scroll was sent to you, not me." She sighed, still looking as if something was pestering her. He sat up on his elbow with his face in his upturned hand. "Are you trying to ask me to bed, Sakura?" His voice was smooth, too smooth, and it oozed testosterone. No wonder he wasn't a virgin. Just the sound of his voice would have any woman on her knees.

But, been there, done that.

"Yes—I'm…no. I mean—" She exhaled. "We're going to have sex, Sasuke. And I know that's way better than having sex with a stranger, because, you know, we're friends. And it would just be as friends for the sake of this stupid mission, but _still—_"

"If people are going to be around our room or booth, then…If Genjutsu was an option for the target, then it's an option for us, too. We'll cast each other in it, but everybody else will hear us." She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"Shishou still thinks I'm a virgin. She doesn't know what happened, and so she made this an order." She looked back into her lap and sighed. "With the experience I have, I might as well be. That'll never be enough for Yuuki; to keep my esteem as an exotic dancer and then perform poorly…" She trailed off as Sasuke nodded, stopping her from saying anymore.

"Then I understand." She bit her lip.

"I know what I'm requesting, and it's horrible to ask this of you. We've been through this, and I just know it's going to uncover feelings, and I don't want it to change anything like I have a feeling it will. I just want to be Sakura and Sasuke—"

"Sasuke and Sakura," He corrected with a pointed finger. She glared.

"The mission is going to try to blur boundaries because of the proximity we're going to be working with, and I just want to lay a foundation…" She spread her hands, as if smoothing the air. "You know, in case I get carried away. We need a point that we can always come back to. That's what this is for. If we're ever too close, I can look back and say 'Remember when I said the mission is going to try to blur boundaries because of the proximity we're working with? Yeah, that's what's happening now.'" He chuckled.

"Sakura, we've read that book before. I get your fears, and while having sex with me is nothing to be worried about—" A chakra scalpel appeared on her finger, _dangerously_ close to his— "I don't want the mission or the fact that we'll be fucking on a regular basis to change how we are." He said through forced tones, sweat beading on his forehead. She slowly removed her finger. "I like us. You know, the platonic, us." She frowned.

"You're about as subtle as my pink hair." He shrugged.

"Just think of having sex with me like having sex with Naruto." She stuck a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag.

"Naruto's my brother! That's just—"

"Exactly. And if you think of it that way…As a matter of fact, every time you step on stage, think of all of those men as Naruto." She frowned.

"You mean giggling and snickering at me like a 5 year-old?" He rolled his eyes.

"No, Naruto at a strip club."

"I've never seen Naruto at a strip club." He snorted.

"Well, you'd be amazed. He completely transforms. You see, if it were Naruto in my shoes, do you think you'd develop romantic feelings for him?" She rolled her eyes.

"God, no." He nodded.

"Well, there you have it." She frowned again.

"But that'll be hard. I can't see Naruto in your shoes because I can't see Naruto in a romantic sense. I've dated you, not him." He sighed.

"Yes, and it'll continue to be hard if you keep thinking of it that way. You have to listen, Sakura." Her frown deepened. "I swear it just goes in one ear and out the other…" He mumbled to himself. She glared.

"Yeah, thanks." She said sarcastically.

"No problem." He chirped, taking her hair between his fingers. "You know this really is too long for your own good." She pursed her lips, snatching her hair from his light grasp and putting it up into a tight bun on top of her head.

"I thought long hair was your thing." He rolled onto his stomach and hummed.

"Yeah, but pink never really was my color." She punched him in the back. "I learned to love it," He said in contrast, his voice muffled.

"And brown is?" She mocked, pulling a strand of his newly colored hair out of his head, to which earned her an "Ouch!"

"Kakashi, that bastard. He gave me dark brown, and then had the balls to give my hair color to Naruto! The bastard." She laughed.

"You already said that." He rubbed the back of his head. "Besides, it's not like it's _your _hair color. A lot of people have Prussian blue hair. Just not you. Well, anymore, for that matter." He turned back over to glare at her. "It's cute on him." He rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Because it's _my_ hair color!" She clicked her tongue.

"Ah, ah, ah, Sasuke." She said, stifling her laughter from his outburst. "I didn't think I'd live to see the day you were jealous of Naruto."

* * *

><p>She was <em>so <em>over this. And whose idea was it to put her on Sasuke's lap, anyway?

"So, Misses Tan, how are you?" She gave him a small smile.

"Just Haruka, please." He nodded. Every Daimyo she's ever seen always had one foot in the grave, yet the young man seated before her couldn't be older than Kakashi.

Okay, so that was pushing it.

Kakashi was well on his way to 40 and he looked the part of a 28 year-old. But the man in front of her…Not a speck of gray could be seen from her viewpoint (Sadly, the same couldn't be said for Kakashi), and he was oozing charm. He was handsome; strong acute features and a chiseled jawline. If it wasn't for his fair skin, she'd consider comparing him to her burly father, if only her father had a smaller build and a lighter skin complexion. Her eyebrows knitted together. Her father—

"Misses Tan?" She blinked, her eyes focusing. She noticed she'd been staring at the man, but her thoughts were deviated from what was actually coming from his mouth.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to repeat that." She flashed him an apologetic smile.

"I was asking if you were skilled at what you do." He folded his hands above his mouth as he leaned into them. Her eyebrows raised.

"With all due respect, Miyazaki-sama, I am a woman of many talents. You'll just have to elaborate."

"And with all due respect, Misses Tan," His gaze shifted from her eyes and she crossed her legs. "With the way you're dressed, one wouldn't expect you to be stealing my daughter's betrothed from her." She pursed her lips, holding in a sigh. Men were the same, and she figured it would vary with social status, but the Daimyo just proved her wrong. It was Sasuke's idea, her outfit, and she concluded that he had better taste in clothes than she did. She wore leather pants that clung to her skin, and she was clothed in a sleeveless white sweater that was way too small, so when she stood, her midriff was shown. Not to mention she wasn't wearing a bra. Her breasts weren't _that_ small that she didn't need them. He met her eyes again, a frown on his face. "You seem a bit timid."

"Rest assured, Miyazaki-sama, I won't be this "timid" beside a pole, if that's what you're asking." She countered crisply. "I have my tastes, and other women have theirs." He sighed, shaking his head.

"I assume you know there are many dancers who willingly go stark naked in front of Yuuki every night, and he doesn't even bat an eyelash. You're a beautiful woman, Misses Tan. The only thing those dancers have over you is their bodies are completely privy to the public. But I don't know how you suppose—"

"Miyazaki-sama, I'm sure you hired Haru here for a reason." Sasuke started firmly. "You've heard her name, and the popularity that accompanies it. I'd rather she not walk around naked like the other dancers, because she's not _like_ the other dancers. Trust _me_, if anyone, she's the best at what she does." A resigned sigh escaped his throat as he ran a hand through his glossy black hair. It was then that Sakura noticed his age.

"I'm going to put my faith in you, Misses Tan, Sasaki-san…And I do hope that you save my daughter." He gave them a small smile as Sakura subtly bit her pink-painted lips.

"Miyazaki-sama, you're daughter's waiting downstairs." Two guards of his security detail walked into the room. The Daimyo waved his hand.

"That's fine. Tell her our guests have arrived, and they're coming down shortly. She's to show them around, and then to the place they'll be staying." Sakura stood abruptly.

"Miyazaki-sama—" She started frantically.

"I told her you're here on business. Besides, my room is soundproof. Now, if you would please…" He stood at his desk and gestured them to the door. One guard opened it and the other went ahead as Sasuke stood, leading Sakura out of the office with a hand on the small of her back.

"Thank-you, Miyazaki-sama." She said with a curt bow, turning back around before the door was closed.

They were taken down the endless steps back to the entrance of the building. Sasuke pulled her closer to his body.

"We're going to be fine, Haru-chan." He said affectionately, kissing her forehead through her bangs. "We're going to be just fine."

"No, we were just fine back in Snow. I don't know why we had to come here." She huffed as they approached Mei, the guard at their tails.

"I told you. I've done my share with the businesses back there. Snow's a tainted place now. New beginnings, remember?" She pouted.

"Yeah, well, let's just see what this Village has to offer before you make any hasty decisions." She muttered under her breath.

Mei finally turned around, and Sakura blinked, taken aback by her beauty. She admired her glossy black hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. But that was where the resemblance stopped between her and her father. Mei's features were soft; round cheeks and a heart-shaped face. Her lips were full, and she had big-round eyes, light blue in color, just as Naruto described her. He failed to mention her breasts, though, a pair that Sakura would kill for. And of course, if you had breasts like that, you could do nothing but show them off. So Mei had the right idea, wearing a tube top that made her cleavage apparent in the black number. She wore dark blue jeans, conforming to her body and hugging her curves. For a small girl, she sure was voluptuous.

There were many things Naruto omitted about this girl though, but she couldn't blame him. At that point in time, she'd probably kill him if he said another thing about the target, given the fact he didn't know she was one. As for the height, the comparison between Sakura and Mei was up in the air. They were both wearing heels at various lengths, so she'd just keep her pride and put them at a matched even.

She smiled brightly at them, a few papers in her tight grasp. "Sasaki Sai and Haruka Tan?" She tried to confirm. Sakura nodded. She held out a sure hand. "Sai, Tan, I'm Miyazaki Mei. The Daimyo's daughter, but I think you've already concluded that." She smiled brightly again as Sakura frowned.

"Haruka." Mei blinked in confusion, her groomed eyebrows furrowing. "My first name is Haruka." Sakura finished, a reassuring tone for the girl. Mei blinked again, retracting her hand in embarrassment. Her gaze then switched to Sasuke, and then back to Sakura, before she looked down at her outfit. She was clearly confused. Mei shook her head.

"O-oh…I'm sorry…I-I didn't know—" Sakura smiled again and held out her hand.

"It's fine—"

"She doesn't do that anymore." Sasuke interrupted icily, a contradicting smile on his face. Mei visibly shrunk as she unsurely shook Sakura's hand. She cleared her throat.

"Well. I'm just going to uh, show you around a few of the great places the Hot Springs Village has to offer, and then we can do lunch." Sakura held her hands up.

"We appreciate this, but if you could just show us to our hotel—"

"We'd love to see the Village." Sasuke interrupted again, an unusual smile bright on his usually solemn features. She narrowed her eyes.

"Sai—"

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Haru-chan. Let's take a look around, see if you like anything. Maybe we could look into the Hot Springs. I hear they're praised for those." She frowned again as he threw his arm around her. "Plus, I'd really like to check out their businesses—"

"Sai, I told you no hasty decisions!" She whispered harshly, slightly moving backward in his embrace. "I don't even know if I want to, _you know,_ yet. Fit me in somewhere before you run off, Mister big business. You're always working, and we just got here." She muttered, a pout on her face. He tightened his hold on her. Mei looked on, her eyes full of worry.

"Don't worry. I won't run off just yet." She sighed. "So, what's the first stop?"

* * *

><p>"Mhm, this is so good, Mei." Sakura took another bite of her food and rolled her eyes in pleasure as the flavor exploded on her taste buds.<p>

"I told you it would be," She replied, a smile on her face as she sat back and folded her arms over her ample chest. Her plate was already cleaned. Sakura however, decided on savoring the exotic taste that couldn't be found in Konoha. "Finish, finish." She prompted, gesturing her hands forward. Sakura finished chewing and swallowed.

"Mhm. Okay, so, I'm just standing there. Sai comes up to me with a wad of bills in his hand. I ask him, "Whatcha' want honey?" He'd be my first for the night, so I was feeling generous. But then he tells me, "Just a conversation." Of course I'm laughing my ass off. His combed hair and groomed features, even at night I could tell he came from money. Not just anyone walks around wearing suits like that." She shook her head. "I don't know how long I'm laughing. But what I do know is that when I stop, he's still standing there with all that cash in his hands, blank expression but his eyes shone with determination.

"I knew he wasn't going to take no for an answer, and even then, I wasn't going to give up all of that money because the notion of a suit like that wanting to get to know a Prostitute was silly. So he took me back to his place, made me dinner, got me juiced. And I thought, _'Here it is.'_ I knew he didn't just want to talk. He led me to a room, luxurious, of course. The bed was massive and the bathroom was the size of my hole in the wall apartment. I didn't get many clients like that, so I was surprised. But then he just…" She closed her eyes. "He put a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt on the bed, and he left the wad of cash on the nightstand. I lie to you not, I stood in that room for about half an hour before I realized he wasn't coming back. He was giving me a place to sleep." Mei sighed dreamily.

"That's so cute. He swept you off of your feet." Sakura rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Not even. It was the other way around, if anything." She joked under her breath, glancing back at Sasuke in the other booth. He was avidly talking on the phone, his shined dress shoes situated on top of the connected table. She's sure the only person he could talk to like that was Naruto. She continued on. "He picked me up once a week after that, and the money never stopped coming. I could pay my rent, I could actually buy sustainable food…he was giving me everything I needed. Not to mention he was determined to let me in on every single detail of his life, prompting me to do the same. But my lips were shut tight. I was greedy, not stupid. Until…Until he bought me out of my contract." She snuck another look back at Sasuke as Mei's eyes widened. She was good.

"He bought…_He_ bought…" She blinked rapidly, trying to compose herself. "He _bought_ you out of your contract?" She exclaimed, her voice high but barely above a whisper as she leaned closer over the table, both of her hands planted flat. Sakura pursed her lips as she continued to stare at him. She nodded. "So he has money. That was his card." Mei stated, trying to recover herself, dissect the situation logically. Sakura shook her head.

"Money wasn't his card. He had it, sure. He had it in abundance." She fingered the pearl necklace hanging past her collarbone as Mei admired the matching earrings. "My contract was extremely expensive. I was young, _very_ young, and my pimp had me for a considerable amount of time, so my worth continued to add up." Mei continued to look on in shock.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here," She started, raising her palms. "And I don't know if my information is accurate because I only read tabloids." Sakura nodded and waved her hand, giving her permission to continue. "Your pimp found you at 18. Ripe." Sakura nodded slowly this time. "I'm going to go ahead and assume that shortly after the incident in Snow two years ago, you were bought out of your contract." Her eyes were narrowed and calculating, examining the girl sitting before her that clearly knew so much about Haruka. "So, say you were 21. That's drinking age for civilians, and that raises your price, since your client could now get you 'juiced' as you say, and not go to prison subsequently after the fact." Mei paused and started to blink again. Sakura frowned.

"Right. So...?" She pestered, not understanding her point.

"That's four years with one pimp. Your contract was probably worth the revenue price of three lounges!" Her eyes were wide and her arms were outstretched. Sakura, of course, treated her explanation with indifference. First off, she was supposed to, and secondly, she didn't even know the revenue price of one lounge, so the comparison was pretty pointless in her eyes. Maybe if she compared them to Shinobi paychecks, or even Anbu. That, she was familiar with. "I think to say that he had money in abundance would be an understatement." Sakura gave her a small smile in return.

"He's something of an investor. And he won't invest in anything he doesn't think is worth it. Apparently, I was." She shook her head again. "But I wasn't just an investment to him. I knew that wasn't his thing, you know, "Mr. Save-a-hoe." She said, her fingers substituting as sarcastic quotes. "I don't know why he was attracted to me. I wasn't sophisticated like his friends, and I'm sure they wouldn't approve of a Prostitute clinging to his arm. I have blue hair for Kami's sake—"

"So what is it?" Mei said, frowning. "What's his card?"

"The Knight." Sasuke interrupted, an elbow leaned against the top of the booth as his lips brushed the top of Sakura's head. His fingers played in her straightened hair. "And your hair is cerulean, not blue." He quipped, smiling down at her. Mei looked on, an expression of awe and surprise as she drunk in his image. "She's beautiful, and I saw beyond the lack of clothing and gaudy make-up."

Sakura scoffed. "Gaudy." She said under her breath.

"Her handler…" A look of disgust flashed across his face. "I didn't want her to continue believing that the world was full of sleazebags. I wanted to show her that she didn't have to fight for everything…she wouldn't have to fight for anything. I'm going to give her the world. At least, I'm trying to." She rolled her eyes.

"Literally." She muttered under her breath. Sasuke let out a hearty laugh, the forgotten phone in his hand. Sakura looked down to it and he followed her gaze.

"Oh, I have to—"

"_Sai."_ She drawled, irritation in her voice. He kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Haru-chan. The boss is on the line." She frowned.

"You're the boss." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I was talking about myself. My advisor's on the _other_ line. And he insists I meet with Yugakure's business chain head. Immediately." He put a finger on her chin and pulled her face to his, placing a lingering kiss on her lips. "Apology?" She pulled back, blinking rapidly.

That was a first.

Sakura bit her lip, trying to come back from her momentary fluster. She raised her eyebrows.

"It'll take a lot more than that to apologize." She whispered, still dazed.

"Challenge accepted." She could see he was stunned as well. "But I promise I'll make it back in time for the hotel. Show her a good time." He commanded a dazed Mei as well, who's expression switched to one of fright. He put the phone back up to his ear. "Don't have too much fun, Haru. Kenji, you were saying…?" And he was already weaving through booths and tables, heading for the entrance. Sakura sighed.

"Is he always like that?" Mei asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Bipolar? Bad with managing priorities? Unfortunately, yes. Even with me." Mei softened. Her demeanor changed as Sasuke left, but that was everybody.

"No, not you. He has a soft spot for you." She pursed her lips.

"Yeah right. It'd be easier to find a soft spot on a rock." She finished with a huff as Mei hummed in thought. She pursed her lips and scoffed, muttering under her breath. "It'd be easier to find my brother." Mei's eyebrows furrowed, her interest piqued.

"Well, what's the deal with your brother, anyway?" Sakura frowned.

"My brother? Hm." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest as she leaned back in her seat. "I haven't seen my brother for seven years. Even then it was fleeting." She rolled her eyes. "There are a lot of people in high places looking for Hatashi, so if you've found him, you might want to contact the authorities." Mei's eyes widened.

"He's a fugitive?" Sakura laughed.

"If that's what you call it when you're wanted by people virtually _everywhere,_ then yes." She blinked in shock. Sakura waved her away. "But no, I mean, he's screwed a lot of people over, but he's no fugitive. Not that I know of. It's just…" She sighed. "Hatashi goes off the grid a lot, and these are times when he's most needed. He's independent, and he expects everyone else to be that way as well. So usually, when someone is in desperate need of him, he disappears. You'd be lucky if you ever see him again." Sakura finished, resigned. "I doubt he'll show up again in my lifetime, so it's best everyone just forget about him."

"But he—"

"He's fine. He doesn't need people like us, Mei. Besides, he's a grown man. I'm sure he can take good care of himself. He's been doing it for so long, anyway…" Mei frowned. "You seem to know an awful lot about me, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" She could tell that Mei was flustered, what with the change of topics. "I'm sure you've gone well above the job description of a tourist-escort today, and this lowly Prostitute would like to know why." Sakura finished, her newly manicured fingers folded neatly in front of her.

"Well, Haruka, I don't meet many…Prostitutes like you. Down to earth conservatives are hard to come by around here…" Laughter erupted from her throat as she finished her sentence. Sakura frowned.

"What's so funny?" Mei stopped abruptly.

"Well, a lot of dancers don't respect themselves like you do. Don't be surprised if you see topless women wandering this Village." Mei said with a roll of her eyes.

"That's not a crime?" She was sure public nudity was earned at least a day incarcerated back in Konoha.

"Not here. Not when there's a strip club on every corner and a longue on every two." Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as Mei frowned. "But you, Haruka, have everything going for you. A promising career," Career? Sakura almost scoffed at that. "A bipolar mega-millionaire boyfriend—"

"I wouldn't say _mega…_"

"And you're beautiful without having to take a shred of your clothing off. You're wearing a sweater—"

"It's sleeveless," Sakura chimed in, trying to be modest.

"You could be wearing a polar bear suit and you'd still be beautiful." She tried not to take the compliment to heart, knowing she was on the job. But then she remembered only changing Kakashi's bone structure and not her own. Maybe she'd try this cerulean thing out for a little while…

"I could say the same for you." Sakura countered. She frowned. "Look, you're different, Mei. It should be a crime for a tourist-escort to dress that sexy—"

"I'm a stripper."

…

"We have to pay the bills somehow, right?" Sakura covered her preplanned blunder. "You're beautiful. Guys are probably falling over each other's feet to get to you." She flashed Sakura a small smile and tucked her wavy hair behind her ear, displaying a ring. "I think _guy_ would be more appropriate." She whispered under her breath. "That's a shiny rock, Mei. Not to mention it's huge. Who's the boyfriend?" Her fair-skinned cheeks flushed a deep red.

"F-fiancée," She stammered.

"Ah," Sakura breathed, leaning back in the booth. "Spill the beans. Who's Prince Charming?" She didn't know it was possible, but her blush turned a deeper red as she avoided Sakura's waiting eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear all the while.

"Y-Yuuki. Yashimata Yuuki. He's the Executive CEO at the Kansai Lounge." Sakura's eyes widened, impressed at his head position at such a young age. He's only 27, the same age Sasuke's portraying, and for him to have actually done that well has to be some feat. "Speaking of the Kansai Lounge, why don't you come tonight? I want you and Sai to meet him, if you don't mind." Sakura's eyes furrowed for a split-second. They've managed to get to step two of the plan in an hour. That was good.

She was good.

"I'd love that." Mei smiled.

"Maybe you could—" Sakura shook her head immediately. Mei's eyebrows raised. She knows she hit a nerve.

"I…" She exhaled through her nose, pressing her lips together. "I don't know why Sai brought us here. He told me better opportunities because of the…the talk back in Snow. The Ambassador…" She sighed, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. "New beginnings, he said. We've been on the move for quite some time, so this might be our home for a while. I just…I don't know if I can do that just yet. Or at all. I don't know." Mei nodded understandably.

"Just come and watch, then. I only have one performance tonight, so I can show you around. If that's okay with you." Sakura nodded, a smile on her face.

"That's just fine."

* * *

><p>"Sasuke," Her toes pressed against the plush mattress as she propelled herself upward a final time before collapsing back onto the bed.<p>

"Hn?" He exited the bathroom of their master bedroom and moved to sit in the armchair. Sakura sat up, her hands behind her, flat against bed covers. Biting her lip, she turned and stared down his lazy eyes.

"Am I beautiful?" He blinked.

"Where exactly is this coming from?" His bored tone made her roll her eyes.

"Sasuke, I've been called beautiful four times today. You were one of them! Back in Konoha, I'd have to hold someone hostage just to get 'pretty', and now that I've got blue hair—"

"Is that what this is really about?" He asked tiredly, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned. She frowned.

"I'm serious, Sasuke." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't you think it's a little sad that the first time you called me beautiful was under these circumstances? On the job? Come on, Sasuke. We dated for two years, for Kami's sake." His eyes were closed and his head rested against the top of the armchair as he stretched his limbs.

"Yes, and I'm sure that during those two years I've called you beautiful a billion of times to get you to sleep with me in your underwear." He drawled as her frown ran deeper, her cheeks flushing red. She threw up her manicured middle finger. "It was under other instances, too." He added. She narrowed her eyes. "Now, the fact that you're being shallow about the compliment means me calling you beautiful is definitely not what this is about." He finished firmly, stretching his arms over his head. She was overthinking again.

And he was _tired._

Sasuke himself wasn't a man for many words, but the oath of silence he took to today was excruciating. Forced to observe the businesses around the Village under the watchful and annoying eye of the business chain head, he found he was glad to be a Shinobi. Something he hated was small talk, and that's the only thing that came out of the obese, greasy man's mouth. A lot of his pestering included Sakura and her features, and he most definitely didn't like that. So before he shut him up with his fists, he tried using the verbal method. But it was never very effective with him, anyway. That was Naruto, and he wasn't Naruto.

In all seriousness, though, he really hoped his blunder didn't affect the mission or his getting employed. Apparently, the investing life wasn't for him. Yes, his job for the day was tedious and tiring, and while Sakura's mouth would've probably irritated him to the ends of the earth, her company was far more comforting than the solace he had to take in himself while observing. It seemed like days, but he finally made it to the hotel. The hotel that housed their generous penthouse suite with a master bedroom and bathroom, lavish living room, and a kitchenette. He'd really love an ice cold beer right about now, but he vaguely remembers tuning Sakura out three minutes ago, and simply getting up mid-speech would be rude. And also an indication that he wasn't listening.

"It's so horrible. She's all rationalizing and assumptions, yet she's so insecure about her looks." Sasuke yawned again, rubbing his eyes this time.

"Where exactly are you going with all of this?" He asked tiredly. She frowned, ultimately concluding he wasn't listening.

"Where were you the past five minutes?"

"It's been five minutes?" She frowned. Well, his timing is off. He's tired, anyway.

"So, you _weren't_ listening." He raised himself from the armchair and moved to the mini-fridge inside of their room.

"Ah, so I've been found out." Opening it, he grabbed a beer and plopped back down into his seat. He pulled a senbon from his pocket and used it to pop open his drink. Sakura frowned.

"Why are you carrying those around, and more importantly, why are you using it as a—you know what, never mind." She closed her eyes and held her palms up in surrender. He took a swig of his beer.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I'm just tired. Just…just give me the short version, please." She sighed.

"She already feels like everyone else around her is a Goddess and she's just some average tourist-escort." He pursed his lips, waiting for her to make her point. "She already feels inferior to everyone around her even though the girl's beautiful. If I take her fiancée from her, it's like saying 'Hey, I befriended you, had sex with your boyfriend, and ruined your engagement. Oh, and, your father paid me to do it!'" She threw her hands up and raised her eyebrows. "How the hell am I supposed to do that, Sasuke?" He could see that she took this mission personally. Only because of Ren. If he ever saw that bastard again, he'd regret skinning his hand. He'd make _sure _he regretted stepping foot in Konoha, and he'd damn sure regret ever laying eyes on Sakura. He sighed heavily. If she kept talking like this, the mission would be a hard one.

"Sakura, I told you. Let the mission run its course. We weren't brought here to judge what the Daimyo wants us to do, we were brought here to just _do._ You should know the book more than anyone." She sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. He shook his head. "I don't need you thinking on this anymore. Your hair will gray and those wrinkles will only worsen." He jumped out of the chair to dodge the oncoming pillow.

"You're one real bastard, Sasuke." He placed a hand over his heart, feigning his hurt.

"You should act more like a lady, Haru-chan. Your cursing is distasteful." She threw another pillow. "Sakura, seriously, I know you're lacing that with your chakra!" That one caught him in the arm, leaving him with a stinging feeling.

"I laced it because you're being cruel." She crossed her legs and frowned. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and leaned against the wall, drink still in his hand.

"I'm being cruel? In about an hour, I have to go to the Kansai Lounge and act civil around sophisticated pigs." He rolled his eyes. "I'd respect them more if they had a kunai to my throat." He scoffed. She pouted, her mood changing almost immediately. Sasuke frowned at this.

"I couldn't just tell her no, Sasuke. I've already laid a foundation on my distaste in stripping, so I have to provide at least an inch of room for leeway so this mission won't be impossible." He sighed. She was right, and he couldn't argue with basis. He finished off his drink and artfully tossed it in the trashcan situated in the corner.

"I told you I was tired." He muttered under his breath, walking back to the bathroom. "While you were out having leisure day, I was busy doing the nonsensical things of a business man." He said, his tone bored. She smiled.

"You're probably right about that. Speaking of leisure day, Mei wanted to show me the Springs, and I said 'Sure, but I can't get in,' and she said 'That's fine too, we can visit the Falls instead,' and I asked 'What's the Falls?' and she said—"

He rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Sakura the short version, please." She pursed her lips in thought.

"Well, we're at the Falls. And you know, Falls, so…mist. And my hair isn't used to mist, actually it's not used to any of this hot weather. Back in Konoha—"

"I'm actually begging now." She exhaled deeply.

"I need you to redo my hair because now it's all frizzy from the mist and I can't show up to an upscale establishment with frizzy hair." She finished the sentence in one breath. He raised his eyebrows.

"Sakura, I did your hair before we left." She frowned.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"_Please?"_ She poked her bottom lip out and sat on her knees, her eyes pleading.

"_N—"_ He exhaled through his nose as her eyebrows raised awaiting his answer. He's faced more dangers at 17 than most Ninja do in their lifetime. But he knew that if he said no to Sakura, while she was begging at the least, he'd probably experience more pain from her and her bare hands than he would with a blade through his chest. He turned on his heel and walked to the bathroom wordlessly, grabbing the supplies needed to redo her hair.

"Thank-you, Sasuke!" She said sweetly in a sing-song voice. She knew what she was doing, the vindictive woman. This made him frown.

"Just…just don't mention it."

* * *

><p>Red-painted lips flew open as a laugh erupted from her core. It became uncontrollable, so she placed her manicured digits over her mouth to stifle the noises. She spoke again after she quieted down.<p>

"It was a bet. I mean, he was going to get one anyway, but somewhere more inconspicuous like his arm or his foot. I was getting lucky that week, my wins being a total of 16-14. Out of all of the 16, the reward of having Kakashi get a shuriken on his left ass cheek had to have been the best." She smiled as Sasuke released his amusement in his form of laughter; the slight opening of his lips and the dancing in his eyes. He didn't laugh very often and he usually settled for a small noise of appreciation coming from his throat. She would take his recent display of his joy as acceptable.

"Someone's coming," He whispered through his smile. She blinked and looked to her right. Indeed someone was coming, and it was no other than Mei. Sasuke's hand slid up her thigh. "Don't." He stopped her before she could react. He was hidden underneath the table, but anyone coming near them could clearly see it. She closed her eyes and tried to accept the long since unfamiliar hands that caressed her inner thighs. When she opened them, his eyes were piercing, staring right back at her. She blinked, taken aback by his intensity.

"Haruka?" Sakura jolted and Sasuke's hand quickly retracted as Mei met her with worried eyes. She shook her head, fixing herself, and then she smiled brightly at her.

"Mei," She said with a nod. "It's so nice here." She finished, looking around. Mei nodded appreciatively, taking the compliment as her own.

"I knew you'd like it." Sakura gave a small smile in reply. Maybe she shouldn't have changed. Mei certainly didn't. The only thing different about her was the heavy make-up and a tight bun on top of her head. She was definitely performing tonight. Thankfully, Sasuke straightened her hair again. She wore a red tube top that matched her lips and covered only her breasts. Leather shorts stopped above her belly button, showing minimum skin. It was accompanied by sheer tights which made her legs look 'delectable' by Sasuke's standards. Black platform pumps with red bottoms covered her feet, making the top of her head reach Sasuke's eyes. "Sai." She greeted with a swift nod.

"Mei, how are you?" Sasuke asked, his voice smooth and caressing. Sakura saw Mei almost immediately melt. She turned back to Sasuke.

"_Don't do that."_ She mouthed. That wasn't his job. He shrugged, then raised his eyebrows at Mei, his eyes full of interest. She blinked.

"I'm fine, thank-you. I have a short performance tonight, so—"

"Oh? Haru didn't tell me you were a fellow stripper." Her eyebrows knitted together.

"I'm sure that's not information you just go throwing around." She said with an awkward laugh. Sakura frowned.

"Bluntly, at that. I'm not even a stripper myself." Sakura muttered. Sasuke's eyes remained on Mei's, intense, as if staring right through her. His features remained stoic. Mei blanched.

"Now do you believe he's bipolar?" She whispered behind her hand. Mei swallowed.

"Haru, do you mind getting us some drinks?" Sakura shrugged.

"Fine. Come on, Mei—"

"No, no, just you. Mei, sit. Let's talk." She blanched again and Sakura threw her an apologetic smile.

"Godspeed." She whispered as she passed her.

She really hoped that Sasuke knew it wasn't his job to seduce Mei. It was Kakashi's, and only Kami knew where that man was. She could truthfully say she missed his company, though. But for this mission, she knew it'd be mostly Sasuke and herself. She would try to do anything she could to avoid him, but that would be impossible considering the required proximity. Considering their looming to-do list hanging over her head. She knew Sasuke didn't have a problem with the sex. He's not an emotionally attached person, so to him, sex really is just sex. And on top of that, he wasn't a virgin. But Sakura…she sighed as she approached the bar. The bartender immediately took notice of her. She smiled sweetly.

"What would you like?" He asked smoothly, his eyebrows raised suggestively.

"Two rounds of Sake, please." She raised two manicured digits in emphasis. He lingered.

"Anything else?" She shook her head no. It took him less than a minute before a tray was placed in front of her. "You know, you look a lot like that porn star, what was it…? Hakura." Sakura pursed her lips, keeping a scowl from her face. It was _Haruka,_ and she wasn't a porn star. But then again, men didn't really know the difference, did they. Any woman willing to strip might as well have been a porn star.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." She gave him a small smile as he frowned and continued to pick up her tray.

"I don't know if you'll be frequenting this longue, but lying to the good people of the place you'll be staying for a while can't be a good first impression." She paused, hearing the faint voice that clearly bled testosterone in her ears. That wasn't for her. She didn't know any men here, and damn sure not well enough for them to know this would be their home for a while. She shrugged it off and turned on her heels.

She turned on her heels to collide into someone that was too close to her for their own good, spilling the drinks all over her front.

"Damn it," She cursed under her breath.

"Another tip. Watching where you're going is always helpful."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you all for waiting with me! It's been hectic but it's dying down. I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as I've enjoyed writing it. Bear with me as I start on the next one. Please review, it gives me superpowers! If every one person who reads this reviews, I can expand my Clash fan base. So, if you don't mind…<em>

_-Keoo19_


	20. New Beginnings

**New Beginnings **

* * *

><p>She looked down her front and frowned.<p>

"This is just great." She muttered, looking up to her perpetrator with narrowed eyes. They immediately softened.

To say he was beautiful would be an understatement.

"Although, I'm sorry for the damage…if it counts." She raised black eyebrows, studying this man. Scratch that.

God.

He was carved by Kami himself, she was sure. There was his lean build and the shape of his chest outlined from his thin dress shirt. He had blonde spiky hair, similar to Naruto's before he grew it out. His jaw was strong and cut, holding thin lips that showed a full set of perfect white teeth when he smiled. Smiles, because the expression looked as if it was glued onto his face, making her insides boil and melt. She found a dimple on his left cheek that just made him all the more irresistible.

His smile fell. "Are you okay?" She blinked. Oh Kami, he caught her staring. With the feelings brewing inside of her, she could only wonder how she was holding up on the outside. She gave him a small reassuring smile.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine." His face lit up again. He was making it hard for her to avoid his lips.

"Well, Misses Tan, forgive me for the spilled drinks." She nodded.

"Seriously, it's fine." She said, perplexed he knew her name. Rather, addressed her by her last name. She turned to order another time, but he stopped her.

"Don't worry. I'll handle those. Haroki," He called, holding up two fingers while pointing to Sakura. The bartender nodded and smiled at her. She'd try to understand the hand gestures, but she was still on why he approached her, supposedly knowing her. And the stickiness of the drinks were setting in. There was also the momentary lapse of forgetfulness. She wasn't supposed to talk to other men without Sasuke around. She slowly turned back around and mustered the sweetest smile she could.

"I appreciate your help, but I could've gotten those myself. Besides, I have to get back to—" He held up a palm.

"Don't worry about it." The smile appeared again. Was he trying to pick her up? She was on the job—she hasn't even _started_ it yet, although he was unnaturally handsome—

She held out a hand. "Haruka Tan, but I presume you know that." He took her hand with warm fingers that sent shivers down her spine. To add insult to her already buckling knees, soft lips kissed her knuckles, his light blue eyes staring at her all the while. She took a sharp intake of breath, composing herself. "And you are?" He smiled again, returning her hand.

"Yashimata Yuuki."

"_Shit."_

* * *

><p>She pressed her lips tightly together, trying to cover up her recent outburst.<p>

"Is everything alright?" She nodded and raised a finger.

"Just give me a second." She turned around and put her hands on her front. _'Shit, Shit, Shit,' _She thought, trying to compose herself. No wonder the Daimyo was so worried. Although he seemed to have sugarcoated his image a bit; any woman would willingly dance for any man with money in their hands. Her hands moved above her stomach. Sakura herself was new to the whole sex experience, but being a medic, she knew the ins and outs of the genitalia and she knew what parts were pleasurable to a man and a woman. She was also sure Ren found none of those parts. However, with all of her knowledge, she's never felt sexual tension toward someone before, and now she felt it. She _knew_ she felt it. Deep inside of her was a prickly sensation, all from his piercing eyes.

Turning back around, she smiled at him again. "I think I'm going to grab those drinks. How much did they cost? I wouldn't want to burden you—"

"I can assure you, it's alright." Her eyebrows knitted together.

"Well, how do you know—?"

"Your name? You're the only woman I can think of with distinct blue hair and green eyes. You're very popular in this Village." She tilted her head upwards in understanding. She didn't know the extent of her reputation here. It probably didn't exceed the confines of a strip club or longue, so only those familiar with famous prostitutes and strippers would know of her. And those who read tabloids, according to Mei. "I heard you came here with Mei, so I had to seize the opportunity. A dancer of your caliber in my establishment—"

"I don't dance." His eyebrows raised. "Anymore." She corrected. She quickly tried to change the subject. "This is your lounge?" He nodded.

"I have a few more like this, but not as successful. This is the only one that boasts various amenities, other than the strippers of course." She frowned. Come to think of it, she didn't hear loud flashy music or see naked women on poles.

"So…it transforms at night?" She asked in confusion.

"Precisely. It's a night club, it hosts celebrities during the day and also various parties. I frequent this longue, so I put most of my work into this one. The Kansai…it's special somehow. But with Snow having their economic problems, we haven't been getting the publicity we usually do. Now this has no immediate effect on me; I'm worried about this Village as a whole. What used to be a popular place for people to settle down is now turning into a tourist site, and even then every once in a while." Sakura absorbed the information with her expression cooled as she tried to remember all that she could. "I don't know you as well as I'd like to, Misses Tan, but that does make me wonder, not about you leaving Snow, but your exact reasons for showing up here." He questioned, his eyebrows raised as he awaited her answer. She pursed her lips.

"To get away from it all. I don't need quietness exactly, but I need new scenery and new faces for…for new beginnings." She finished with a bright smile. "Enough about me, what makes the Kansai lounge so special?" She'd learn all about the target in one night if she could keep him talking…if she could actually pay attention to his words and not his lips. He shrugged.

"I moved here for the same reasons you're standing in front of me. I had ideas though, big ideas. But big ideas won't get you anywhere in this Village, you'll need a few commas beside your name. I was lucky. I had that. So I had this place built." He outstretched his hands. "It was rocky at first, but that didn't matter because we had a great deal of people coming in. They came for the strippers, the drinks, and they left. But I wanted more, you know? There was the money coming in from the girls, and then there was the money coming in from the drinks. But that wasn't enough to do what I wanted to do. So when we made a media deal with Snow, the investors started pouring in. More investors, more money. More money, more amenities. Thus, the Kansai Lounge you see today was born." They were leaning against an empty space on the bar now as he continued to tell her stories of his successes. She nodded and smiled, the body language of an attentive listener. Sakura was sure she knew when she was attracted to someone. Yuuki wildly so. She wasn't prepared for this. He was supposed to have been average. Handsome and sharp, but not…not the godly creature that stood in front her. As he spoke avidly about his career expenditures, she couldn't stop thinking of him and what he reminded her of.

And as much as he hated to admit it, Yuuki reminded her of Ren. And she _really _hated to admit it, but she missed Ren.

"Haruka?" Her eyes snapped to his.

"Y-yes?" He frowned as she smiled sheepishly.

"I asked if you were going to be in this Village for a while." She pursed her lips.

"I don't know, nothing is permanent for me anymore. Sai—" She paused. Drinks. "I have to get those—"

"Who's this?" Sasuke commanded. Sakura turned her head and sighed, her eyes meeting with Sasuke's unhappy features. She slowly distanced herself from Yuuki, currently sporting a confused expression. She sighed again, ready to explain, but she was interrupted.

"Yuuki!" Mei came forward from behind Sasuke and enveloped Yuuki in a bear hug, her arms damn near strangling his neck. "When did you come back?" He put some distance between them, but still kept an arm around her waist.

"An hour ago. I came to see you, but I ran into Misses Tan here." He gestured out to Sakura as Sasuke frowned.

"Haruka, please—"

"Misses Tan is just fine." Sasuke interrupted, his arms folded across his chest. She frowned right back.

"_Sai."_ She whispered harshly, and then turned back to Yuuki with a smile. "Haruka, I _insist." _

"Haruka." Sasuke started. She looked back to him, his expression schooled. "What did you get yourself into?" He gestured down her front, still soaking from the many drinks spilled there. Her mouth formed an "o".

"I was, um, getting drinks, and I ran into Yuuki here." She tried wiping herself dry, only for her hands to become sticky. She sighed. "Literally." She deadpanned.

"Yashimata-san?" The bartender called from behind the counter, various drinks on a platter. That was _not_ what she ordered. Yuuki waved a hand at him, instructing the drinks to be put down.

"Well, Yashimata-san." Sasuke nodded and took a step forward. "Mei," He started with a smile. "Babysit these drinks for me, will you? I have to go get Haru-chan cleaned up." Mei blushed as Sasuke moved swiftly, grabbing Sakura on his path to the restrooms. He didn't seem like he was going to stop until he got there, expertly weaving through various people throughout out the longue. She vaguely noticed the loud music in the background and wondered how Sasuke was able to get through the wildly dancing patrons flailing their bodies around to the upbeat music. Something in the back of her mind told her it was because he was used to the atmosphere of clubs. The few times she did go to a club with him, before they began dating, she faintly remembers how different women were in her position, being dragged by the hand to only Sasuke knows where. She even remembers Sasuke pulling her like this once. They were headed for the restrooms where he—

She planted her feet on the ground.

If it wasn't for Sakura's strong beliefs back then, Sasuke probably would've had his way with her, right in those restrooms. Given the prerequisites for the success of this mission, she had a feeling that's exactly what he intended on doing.

She panicked.

She wasn't ready. They didn't even talk about it. Sakura's personality and stress levels had no room for spontaneity. That was it. She decided on not doing it, on reaffirming her strong beliefs. It was too early in the mission now. Besides, they had the minimum time span of a month to complete the mission, so there was plenty of time. Plenty of preparation time. Said perpetrator turned around with knitted eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" She frowned, yanking her hand from his gasp and crossing her arms across her sticky chest. Her nose turned up in disgust but she quickly recovered, dropping her arms to her sides and balling her fists.

"I'm not doing anything. I actually refuse to do anything." She stated. The look of confusion on his face made her scowl falter.

"What the hell are you talking about, Sakura?" He whispered harshly as she pursed her lips.

"You know damn well—"

"_No_, I don't." He retorted, his hands on his hips. She frowned.

"You don't?" She asked, apparently just as confused as he was. He sighed.

"Sakura—"

"I'm not having sex with you, Sasuke." She whispered. His eyebrows raised. "At least not right now." He rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand again, proceeding on his path to the restrooms.

"So that's what this was about." He muttered sarcastically. She frowned as he opened the door and pulled her inside, locking it behind himself and then finally letting go of her hand as he went to check each stall for occupancy. Satisfied with his results, he came back and stood in front of her.

"I told you," She started, shoving her nose in the air. "I'm not going to have sex with you." He rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time and placed his hands on his hips.

"That's not what we're here for, _Haru-chan._" She frowned.

"Then what are we here about? How you've gotten your role confused?" He jerked his head back.

"What?" She pursed her lips.

"You're not supposed to do that." She whispered. He looked around the restroom, obviously at a loss as to what else he could've possibly done wrong in her eyes.

"Do what?" He asked, his voice high-pitched in exasperation. She gestured at the door.

"Make Mei blush like that. That's not your job." He rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Yes, you've told me." She bit her lip.

"But you continue to do it." He shrugged.

"It's natural." Her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"It's natural now, is it?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Are you jealous, Sakura?" Her eyes widened.

"No!" Her head jerked back in surprise. "Wha—_Why_ would I be jealous of _her?_" He smirked. "She's not even—This is a _mission_, and on top of that I wouldn't even _care._ I've had you already so I could care less whether or not you go and screw with her!" She blurted out. He shook his head, a small laugh coming from his lips. He heard the word 'care' a lot. She frowned. "This is funny to you?"

"Technically, you never had me. _And_ you just expressed your distaste with having me at all, so…" Her frown ran deeper as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Oh, you know what I mean. I was the best thing that ever happened to you, so anything after me is a downgrade." She slowly removed her arms, that probably being the third time she forgot her chest was sticky. His eyebrows raised.

"Oh really?" She grunted in agreement. He shrugged. "Well, considering we never had sex, that 'best' title is debatable…" The smug look was wiped from her face and replaced with a scowl. "And given your history with relationships, I think it's safe to say I was your best. I mean, come on. I held out for two years." He raised two fingers in emphasis. "That was a very long and painful two years for me, especially adding to table I was a ninja. You have to give me credit for staying faithful—" She threw a pointed look at him, her eyebrows raising. An obvious indication to change his answer. "For not having sex for two years." She took her attention off of him and tried to make the mess on her a top a little more bearable by trying to wring it out; an unknown placebo to her because she actually thought it was coming out.

"What'd you bring me in here for, anyway?" She huffed. "We're _not_ having sex in here, so you can cross that off of your list." She reiterated. "The target's out there so I'm not sure why we're here in the first place—" She rambled. "I'm sure whatever pressing information this is can wait until we reach the hotel—"

"I need you to take your top off." She looked up, pausing the wiping of her top.

"I'm sorry?" He nodded upward slightly, pointing out the indiscreet camera in the top right-hand corner he had his back to. Her mouth dropped open.

"There's cameras in the _restroom?_" She whispered harshly. He frowned.

"No need to whisper, they can see you, not hear you." She scowled.

"That doesn't make it any better!" She grumbled while furiously trying to scrub out the spill. He placed his hands on his hips.

"So are you going to take it off? Because that method clearly isn't working." She sighed, dropping her hands. "I'm going to clean it with water, if that's alright with you. Unless of course, you'd like to show Yashimata-san you're uncomfortable with undressing in front of me." He finished, a smug look on his face. She frowned. "To think that he's not watching us right now would be a stupid mistake." Her eyebrows knitted together.

"Couldn't you have told me that a little earlier? I just spent this whole conversation frowning like a dumbass." He pursed his lips.

"No, you spent the whole conversation looking like a girl getting scolded by her boyfriend for standing too close to a stranger." He threw her a pointed look as she blinked.

"You're smart, Uchiha." She whispered.

"Right. Now, I'm going to take this wet thing off of you, and you're going to stay quiet. Do you understand?" She nodded slowly as he moved forward, sitting his hands on her hips. She refrained from jumping. "Stay calm." She nodded again as they slid up her waist.

"What was that about? You and Mei, I mean." He shrugged, his fingers tracing light patterns in her skin before tucking themselves underneath the band of her top.

"I asked her about her two professions, just a little digging. Nothing seductive, I promise." He pulled it off in one swift movement, her breasts perky and free in front of him. It took everything to keep from shielding them from him as he stared at her, a hungry look in his eyes. "You've gotten bigger since we were together." She bit her lip.

"Milk." She started, her throat dry and her voice raspy. "Milk helps." His warm fingers traced patterns on her nipples first; her breath hitching as her body responded to his touch.

"Right. I'm going to kiss you now, Sakura." She opened her mouth to answer but she could only muster a small squeal as he pushed her body against the wall and moved his flush against hers, overtaking her lips. He pushed a leg between her two and opened them, promptly lifting her. Soft moans vibrated from her throat as his hands sensually squeezed her now tender breasts.

There. There you please a woman.

He ravished her mouth, nipping at her bottom lip. His tongue danced with hers as his fingers expertly caused reactions everywhere he touched.

"I forgot how this felt," He whispered against her throat as he placed kisses there. She threw her head back against the wall as he pushed her higher.

"_Oh," _She breathed, wrapping her legs around his middle. He took this as initiative, placing ghost kisses on her collarbone. He paused at her breasts. "Go." He bit her nipple hard, hard enough to have chills running up and down her spine. His tongue gloriously pleased her there, making it harder to breathe. He sucked until Sakura was shaking, soft gasps escaping her lips. He moved to the other one. Her hair fell around his face as she laid her forehead on top of his. "More," She whispered, almost broken. He moved from her breasts down to her lower stomach, his mouth never leaving her skin. Her back arched against him and her hands fisted in his hair as he bit her navel. "Sasuke—"

The moan died in her throat as she heard three short raps on the door.

He slowly moved from her stomach, letting her slide down the wall to her feet. Sakura quickly tried to recover as Sasuke move towards the door. He unlocked it as she blinked, her fingers brushing across her bruised lips. She desperately tried to quiet her erratic breathing.

"Sai, can I come in?" Sakura stiffened as she heard Mei's voice echo throughout the recently quieted space. Sasuke opened the door wider.

"Haru, cover yourself, will you?" Mei swiftly moved past him and stopped in front of Sakura.

"Haruka…are you okay?" She was still dazed and Mei had worry written all over her face. She blinked again.

"Yeah…" She whispered. Mei tried to meet her gaze. "Yes." She said, more surely. Mei frowned again.

"But your lips…" She pressed them together, feeling their plumpness.

Sasuke, the bastard. She could almost hear him smirking behind her.

"Well, Sai—"

"Haruka, cover yourself." He commanded. She quickly folded her arms across her chest as Sasuke came near, plucking the forgotten garment from the restroom floor. He moved to the sink and started running it under water.

"Yuuki thought that I should come and check on you, Haruka." Sasuke paused. "Well, it was originally my idea because I thought you left, and the main reason why you're here is to see my performance, and he saw you leave in the direction of the bathroom, so I offered to go and see what the both of you were doing—"

"I was just apologizing to Haru here for missing the rest of our tour." He said with a smile. She turned her attention to Sasuke, and her eyes slowly moved down to his lips.

"Oh…" Was all that Mei could manage. She then looked back at Sakura, covering her chest. "Oh…" She said quieter. "And now that I've found out," She whispered. "I'll just leave you to it." The worry in her eyes diminished as she squeezed Sakura's shoulder and flashed her a small smile before backing out of the door. Sasuke shut off the water and moved to lock it. He then stepped over to the hand dryers and held Sakura's top underneath it. The whirring sound broke the silence as she bit her lip.

"What now?" He asked. She frowned.

"Well, for starters, what did you have to go and do all of that for?" He sighed, the dryer shutting off only adding to his irritation. In annoyance, he rustled Sakura's top underneath it until the air flow began again.

"There are cameras, Sakura. Have you already forgotten in your flustered state?" He finished, a smirk on his face. Her frown ran deeper.

"Even so, we're not dating anymore. You lost those privileges a long time ago. Have you forgotten _that?_" She huffed.

"It's a mission, Sakura." She pursed her lips, upset that he was right, again. "Remember back on the ferry? You said you were laying a foundation then." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Doesn't ring a bell." He sighed.

"You made a restore point." She shook her head. "You said the mission is going to try to blur boundaries with the proximity we're working with, and that point is one that we should always go back to if either of us get carried away." She titled her head upwards in remembrance as her mouth formed an 'o'. "But I did tell you he was watching us. Mei came right on time." Her eyebrows knitted together.

"What's right on time?" He shrugged.

"That small space in time before I rip off your shorts and have my way with you on the sink." She blinked. He moved from the hand dryer and handed her the top.

"Oh…" She slowly pulled it back over her head and shoulders. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and tried to move past her toward the door. Her hand reached for his wrist and she pulled him back in front of her. His eyebrows furrowed. "You're so cute with red lipstick." She mused as she licked her painted thumb and started to wipe away her smudged lipstick from his mouth. He frowned.

"Cute? What happened to sexy?" She paused.

"I've never called you sexy a day in my life." He pursed his lips in disagreement.

"Yes you have. You just might not remember because you were—" He stopped himself as her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.

"What? I was what?" He sighed.

"Drunk. You were drunk." She smirked.

"Well that testament proves _everything._" He frowned again. She continued trying to remove her thick lipstick from his mouth.

"Mei thinks I'm sexy," He said after silence. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, her and a million other people." His frown ran deeper. Grabbing her hands, he took her lips in his, hungrily moving his tongue inside of her mouth and overpowering her senses. He continued to nip at her lips before a hand forcefully pushed his face away. He threw her a pointed look.

_"That_ was sexy." She rolled her eyes again.

"No, that was stupid." She countered, throwing him a pointed look right back. "You look like a drag queen." He glared at her, producing a laugh. "Now, why don't you go handle the _real_ sexy beast?"

* * *

><p>"You can barely call this place a strip club. It's like…" She pursed her lips in thought. "It's like a night club, sort of, except there are strippers here so that makes it a strip club." Mei finished with a dry laugh. "But that's not it. This specific lounge is special to us, Yuuki and me. I don't know which one of us it means more to. I practically helped him build his life into this Lounge, and it was here that he gave me life." She said, facing away from Sakura. "But anyway, there are the booths and the tables behind the endless mosh pit of men. In front of the mosh pit is the stage with retractable poles which only appear when it's time for the strippers to go on." She said loudly as Sakura struggled to hear her over the music. Then she pointed toward the back. "Those booths are the best in town. The best practically anywhere, if you can believe it." Sakura followed her pointed finger in the dim-lit space to the booths. From what she saw, the booths described were just rooms, four walls she guessed, and only the inside could testify to its luxuriousness. "As the other dancers perform, the strippers who finished their set go to the booths where the prepaid clients are waiting. They get seen first because, well, you know…" Sakura shook her head, indicating she didn't. Mei smoothed the stray pieces of her hair falling from her bun. "Paying ahead basically guarantees your chance with a stripper, dancer, or both for that matter. And since they're taking time out for you while there could be other high-paying customers, your price practically sky rockets. Probably one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of, but the money's there and its business, so…" Mei shrugged as Sakura hummed, running her fingers through her hair.<p>

"I've never danced at a lounge before, and I didn't think there was a difference. Well, until now." She stuffed her hands into her leather pockets. Mei frowned.

"Well, I've never danced at a Strip Club before." Sakura scoffed.

"Good. I think you've got the best of both worlds here." She said under her breath. Mei's frown ran deeper.

"What does that mean?" Sakura sighed, looking around.

"I can tell you one thing, it's not as sophisticated as this." She gestured outward with her hand and then replaced it in her pocket. "Strip Clubs are more…down and dirty. You can even go as far as to say raunchy. There's no "clientele" and there's no "pre-paid" system. You go on stage and you dance when you're supposed to. Whether you open the place or end the night, you have to earn it. After you're naked, you take your pick. They'll either pay you for a lap dance, or they'll pay you for sex. If they pay you to fuck them, you fuck them. If they get rough, you call security. But if they don't hear you…" She wrapped her arms around her middle and looked away.

"If you get raped, you get raped. There's no two ways about it." Mei's big eyes shown with sympathy. Sakura shook her head. "We're Strippers. We're girls who get naked for money. Who's going to care? We're practically asking for it anyway, given the small print of our job description." Sakura shrugged, trying to lessen the impact of her words. "The Strip Club…for people like me, it was a safe haven. An easy way to get money, pay rent, but that's only if you had the right stuff. It was a place to sleep, a place to feel _wanted._" She bit her lip and looked around her. "With Sai, I have everything I could've ever wanted as a girl growing up. I've regained my sense of security and my ability to actually let people in. So I quit. I felt there was no other reason for me to continue stripping and dancing. And yet, I still feel like something's missing."

"Well, then—"

"Why don't we go find Yuuki and Sai? Hopefully they haven't killed each other in our absence." Mei's frown quickly changed as her expression became worried.

Knowing Sasuke, there had to have been bloodshed.

* * *

><p>"Surely you think that it would be a worthwhile investment."<p>

"No, I don't."

"It is, isn't it? More attractors for the Village. It'll make more money, don't you think so?"

"Not in the least." Sasuke drawled, most of his attention focused on slowly turning the distasteful wine in his glass. He frowned, specifically remembering telling Sakura "two rounds of Sake."

"Seriously?" He put the glass down and sighed, looking up at the pretty boy in front of him.

"Look, Yashimata-san—"

"Yuuki, _please._"

"Look, _Yuuki._" He corrected. "Mei only has the job that she has because her father's the Daimyo. And she at least tries to be sophisticated about it. Bringing in Strippers for eye candy just isn't reasonable." Yuuki frowned as Sasuke continued to turn down his idea. "If you make them mobile, they become Prostitutes. "Showing" visitors around the Village will transform into them "showing" much more." He avidly used air quotes. Picking up his forgotten glass, he looked at the contents in distaste before bringing it to his lips. "You can put a Stripper in somewhat decent clothes. Hell, you can even put a suit on her. But that won't change the seductress inside of her. Soon after, the tourist-escort business turns into mass prostitution with a pretty name in front of it. Your business here plummets because your girls are literally taking their show on the road." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not saying it'd be the worst investment I've ever made, but that's just not something I'd like my name advertised in front of." Yuuki pursed his lips.

"And you've made many investments in the past." Sasuke placed his glass back down on the table.

"True." Yuuki nodded.

"And your investments here—"

"None. Haruka and I just moved here." He raised his eyebrows, and then he shook his head slightly.

"But you've begun to look." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Look, Sai. I know your rep. Everyone does. It doesn't take long for you to make a decision, and when you do, they're hardly ever the wrong ones." Sasuke sighed, his eyes closing.

"What are you saying, Yuuki?" He drawled.

"Take a look around the Lounge. Tell me what you think. Mei didn't have to breathe a word about Haruka for me to know her rep around here. I'm sure you can estimate the amount of money she can bring in on one night. Just think about the long run. She's a skilled dancer. Pretty amazing, actually." A scowl formed on his face. He remembers her brief explanation of her and Kakashi's mission in Snow. He knew Sakura could dance, but…pole dancing? He cleared his throat.

"Haru has already expressed to me her disinterest in dancing right now. She's stubborn, so unless you and Mei can change her mind, I doubt—"

"I'm sure I can change her mind." Yuuki interrupted, a smile on his face. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.

Noticing more presences surrounding him, he smiled.

Saved.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure they're just fine." Mei reassured, looking to Sakura with a smile. As they approached the table, she could testify otherwise.<p>

Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Sasuke smile when he noticed her. Sasuke never smiles without extreme provocation. It must've been _hell._

"Haru-chan. I would've thought you've gotten yourself kidnapped with the amount of time you were gone." He said through slightly forced tones only she could hear, and a fake smile plastered on his face, covering gritted teeth. She rolled her eyes.

"Funny. Mei was just showing me around." Yuuki turned toward the two females with raised eyebrows. "The Strip Clubs back in Snow are nothing compared to this." She claimed first. "It's…It's different. And pricey. And everyone seems to look more expensive here." She said, looking around. "And I have to find out where the girls get their clothes." Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sakura threw a pointed look at Yuuki. He shrugged.

"I'm sorry, it's exclusive for my dancers." He said with a smile that seemed completely unapologetic. "If you were my dancer, I'd be more than welcome to share the name and location of the boutique." She frowned.

"Well isn't that the deal from a devil." She muttered underneath her breath. She tapped her temple and held up a manicured index finger, silently promising to think about it. "Only because I really hate secrets." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Hence the exclusiveness,"

"These drinks must be exclusive, too." Sasuke muttered underneath his breath, frowning at the full glass in his hands. The wine was tangy, and left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. He could only hope it was exclusive, because if that _wasn't_ the case, he'd be sticking to beer for the duration of this mission. Sakura frowned at him before turning back to Yuuki.

"But why so organized? Why do a Strip Club like this?" She asked, gesturing around her. On her tour around the longue, she spotted more than enough civilian dressed security guards mixed in with the crowd. Each time she turned her head she saw one, sticking out like a sore thumb to the trained eye. Her attention turned back to Yuuki, his piercing eyes still on her. Her head jerked back.

"What happened in Snow happens everywhere, Haruka." She stiffened as Sasuke choked on his drink. It could be because of the taste he so adamantly detested, or it could be because of the bluntness of this near stranger, who knew her only by association and reputation. Taking that into account, she concluded he sure was blunt.

"Is this your persuasion?" Sasuke asked, amusement in his voice as he brought the glass to his lips again. "Because that's probably the worst you could've done."

Yuuki rose. "Watch the performances tonight. Sleep on them." He took a shocked Mei by the hand as Sakura bit her lip. "Have a good evening, Sasaki-san, Haruka." He nodded before disappearing through an array of tables in the dim, crowded space. She turned to Sasuke, only to see a laugh trying to break through his horrible poker face. She frowned, plopping down into the newly vacated seat.

"That was funny?" He shrugged, taking a sip again.

"A little bit." His nose scrunched up as the aftertaste kicked in. "Why do I keep drinking this?" He put his glass down and pushed it toward her, or far away from himself. To her, his intentions weren't clear. She didn't think he knew… "Taste. It's disgusting." She sighed, her thoughts being confirmed by his words.

"Can't." He raised his eyebrows.

"Why not?" She sighed again.

"Kakashi—"

"Ah—" He quickly said, holding up a finger. She pouted. Anything having to do with her and Kakashi spelled trouble just by the sound of their names. He'd rather not hear her skewed version, but instead wait until the both of them were together and let the pair duke it out accordingly. She rolled her eyes, understanding his prejudice of her soundness in explanations.

"He sure does know an awful lot about us." She muttered as he shrugged.

"Have you forgotten, Haru-chan?" He stated mockingly. "You're infamous around here." She frowned.

"Yeah, well, you're infamous here, too." He hummed.

"Yes, but I'm infamous for investing. You earned your rep for dancing around metal poles and taking your clothes off. In no particular order." He finished with a smirk as she rolled her eyes. "Or in Yuuki's words, by being 'a pretty amazing dancer.'" He finished with a scoff. "How'd you sign up for this anyway? I didn't think this was your thing." She huffed.

"It's not. It's an Anbu requirement. In order to pass, I had different specialty areas that had to be cleared. The pole dancing and stripping…" She pursed her lips, trying to find a way to word it. "I was being sponsored, so there was no guarantee I'd pass. If I gave my virginity on one of those missions and was cleared, but I didn't pass the final mission test, that…it'd be like a kick to the face. So they didn't make the whole sex thing a requirement, as long as you could get around it. And even so, that was based on your mission details and sometimes your skill level. I got lucky." She muttered under her breath.

"Kakashi had to watch you strip for the duration of your mission?" She shook her head fervently.

"God, no. I thought it'd be too weird, and he agreed. Being my sponsor, he practically had to sit in on most of my lessons. That was enough already." Sasuke frowned.

"So they taught you how to dance?" She raised an eyebrow and pointed a suspecting finger at him.

"Correction. I already knew how to dance. I was taught the ins and outs of pole dancing and the strip tease." He sighed.

"Look, I'm going to need a little more than that, Sakura. I'm your partner on this mission, and hiding specifics from the last one would be detrimental to my ability to carry it out." He reasoned.

"And I can understand that completely. But you're not totally in the dark here. You've already gotten all the specifics you need, so I don't see why—"

"_Seriously? _We're not about to play hide-and-go-seek with mission details, Sakura. You're being childish." He finished, leaning back in his chair. She fumed.

"That was an Anbu mission! _Classified._ You're not cleared for those details, and it's not just something you share at story-time." He raised his eyebrows, obviously offended by the authority card she pulled.

"Cleared? I'm not _cleared?_" His voice was completely calm, but knowing him, she could hear the underlying tone to his words. "So when exactly will I be _cleared_ for those details, huh? When you get on stage and embarrass yourself?" Her eyes narrowed.

"I beg your pardon?" She bit out slow through forced tones and gritted teeth. He challenged her.

"No one has seen you dance, yet you want to get up there in two days." He stated matter-of-factly. Her anger flared as she moved in close to him, a manicured digit pointed at his face.

"My alias isn't fake, Sasuke." She started angrily. "It's _solid._ I spent three months in Snow as a stripper to build my rep and I did a damn good job at it! Why do you think Yuuki called me a pretty amazing dancer? I don't see him reaping any benefits in saying that other than recruiting me as a dancer for this longue." She spat. "Rest assured, you'll have nothing to worry about when I get up on that stage." She finished angrily, rising from her seat and stalking away.

"Haruka!" She heard him call, but all the while ignored him and kept on her way to the bar.

Sitting in the first vacated stool, she tapped the counter twice. The waiter she spoke with before immediately appeared. A smile was quick to flash across his features.

"Give me the strongest you've got." The words quickly left her lips before she could stop herself. He nodded and disappeared, leaving behind a Sakura filled with regret. She tried to block out all the medical inquiries running through her mind. How strong was their strongest? Would it kill her? No, her body wouldn't allow that, she would start glowing an emerald green, immediately classifying her as a medical ninja in a Village with a Shinobi population of next to none, and her cover would've been blown. But if their strongest was really detrimental to her health, then the effects would be instantaneous, and Sasuke would have to carry her back to their hotel.

She quickly shook her head, remembering that she wanted to block them out, not let them resurface. Her body was already preoccupied with the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Her argument with Sasuke should've ended with his face crushed, but she at least still had some semblance of consciousness when angry, so she remembered her setting. Her patience levels were different with everyone, and sensitive to certain things. Sasuke's bar already wasn't that high, and she didn't take kindly to him blatantly calling her out. _'Embarrass?'_ She thought, balling her fists. How could he think she'd embarrass herself? That self-righteous bastard. And he even had the audacity to get upset when she implied that yes, she was a rank higher than him. But of course, Sasuke being the dominating ruler he is, well, in his mind at least, someone pulling the authority card on _him_ was one of _his_ buttons. One of the buttons that she trained herself not to push during their two-year period. So before anyone got hurt, it was safe to say she made the right decision by removing herself from the scene. The scene which, in turn, brought back many memories from their troubled relationship. There's no way that it couldn't have been a bust. But if she was in a good state of mind, she could think on the good things and how they "supposedly" outweighed the bad, like everyone continued to tell her. She thought that since they moved on, the nature of their relationship wouldn't rear its ugly head in a mission where they were posing as a couple. In the light of recent events, it seems her prediction was wrong.

"Calm down, Sakura." She whispered to herself. Arguments were a regular thing between the stubborn pair, so it was nothing new. Bad decisions were also her forte and nothing uncommon, but she was sure drowning her problems with a drink wouldn't solve anything, but only prove to make everything worse. She adamantly tried to push that thought from her mind as said drink appeared before her in the form of three shot glasses. She downed them in quick succession before her good sense could overwhelm her. The liquid almost immediately evaporated as it touched her throat. "That's strong." She rasped as her insides flared with a burning sensation that had her nerves tingling. She remembers this feeling; a similar drink at a bar on the Anbu Base to be exact. It was taken alongside Kakashi.

There was no other way she'd take a drink like that with him unless it was on terms of a bet.

_**-Flashback-**_

"_How should we celebrate this momentous occasion?" She threw her bags on her bunk. _

"_Sleep. Sleep is good." He frowned. _

"_Sakura, you just turned 21. Some type of celebration is in order," He reasoned with her as she face-planted on her bed. _

"_Look, we've been moving all day, and I haven't even gotten a chance to get my regular hair color back." She muttered. He snapped his fingers and pointed. _

"_Right. So that means you're still in stripper-mode. Strippers love to party, Sakura." She groaned. "Can you be some type of excited that you've just turned 21?" He asked with a frown. _

"_My 20__th__ birthday party was big enough to last for the next three." She drawled, remembering all of her drunken mishaps. "And besides, I've already passed all the important milestones, so 21 is just another number." He raised his eyebrows in disagreement. _

"_I beg to differ. There's a lot of things you achieve at 21." She picked her face up from the scratchy linen. _

"_Like what?" He pursed his lips, not expecting her retort. Then he brightened. _

"_21 is the legal drinking age." He pointed out matter-of-factly. _

"_For civilians. I was legal when I was 18." She deadpanned. He frowned, his mind working like clock-work to think of another. _

"_Uh…" He gave up. "Just shower and get dressed, I'll tell you on the way." She groaned again as he left their room. _

"_Bastard."_

* * *

><p><em>She dragged herself out of their room and stumbled across Kakashi waiting by the door. He nodded, taking the first steps out of their barrack and into the chilly night. He looked down at her.<em>

"_You look nice," She wore a long-sleeved low cut shirt and tight black pants. Her high heels brought the top of her head to Kakashi's nose level. Her pink tresses were styled in a tight ponytail; her bangs falling over her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders. _

"_You could do better." He frowned, kind of expecting the same compliment back. He wore his new Shinobi shirt that had an attached mask and his standard matching pants. He got them just for this occasion. To think she'd be grateful…the new shirt smell was suffocating him. He opened his mouth to comment on her unappreciative nature but she interrupted him. "So, what's the list of achievements I've accomplished today?" She asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets. He pursed his lips. _

"_Well, for starters, you can omit the honorific at the end of my name," He started sarcastically. "Even though you do it already." He muttered. "You know, I use to say 'My favorite student will hold out the longest, for sure.'" She rolled her eyes, feigning innocence as she held up her hands._

"_Accidents happen." He frowned. "When you're in such close proximity with someone like you, and you get to know the real them, you start to lose respect." He placed a hand on his heart._

"_That was really hurtful, Sakura-chan. I think I'll just have to find a favorite student who still respects me. Like Naruto, for instance." He suggested. _

"_Pfft. The only reason why Naruto still calls you Sensei is because he's too lazy to change. So technically, I did hold out the longest." She countered. "But if it really means so much to you, I can keep calling you Sensei for the rest of the night, Sensei." She offered as he waved her away, shrugging._

"_No matter. Sensei would be too erotic now anyways. Especially after a mission like that, seeing you topless and all—" She pushed him, hard. _

"_You saw me topless?" She shrieked, pushing him again after he got back up to his feet. "I told you not to—!"_

"_I'm sorry, accidents happen." He started, mocking her. _

"_How did you __**accidentally **__see me without my bra on?" She held a fist up to his vulnerable body on the ground as he rolled his eyes._

"_That's an easy question. You're a stripper, for 500 ryo." She moved her heel in between his legs. He panicked, immediately holding his hands up in surrender as he slowly rose. "Look, you didn't always tell me when you were going on, and sometimes I got thirsty, and sometimes I got horny." He said in his defense, raising himself and dusting his pants off. She fumed. How could she not lose respect for him?_

"_There's more than one strip club in Snow! You could've gone somewhere different!" She shouted, all the while throwing punches to his arm._

"_That was the best one, remember? That's why we were there in the **first** place." The girls there were exceptionally bountiful in every aspect of the word, but he feared adding that would only lead to his demise. "And it was also my job to keep an eye on you, supposedly being your brother and all." She frowned, shoving him again._

_"No, you were **supposed** to be my absent brother who I haven't seen for years. Showing up somewhere I would see you was stupid and a contradiction to the 'not be seen my sister' persona you were _**_supposed_**_ to be portraying." He pursed his lips. He forgot that aspect of the mission. Shrugging, he remembered it was over._

_"Anyway, it's a good thing half of your body hasn't gone through puberty yet—" Her fist swung back and he quickly jumped out of the way to avoid her wrath. "Oh look, there it is!" He pointed a couple hundred feet away to where the bar was. She stopped._

"_You mean we're going to that expensive bar?" He nodded. "You do know I don't get my mission checks until **after **I've passed, right?" He nodded slowly. "You're the only one with money here." He frowned. _

"_Well, we'll just have to see how the night goes. Maybe if you could be a little nicer and keep those fists contained, I could probably pull some strings with the bartender." She frowned as he slapped her back. "Come on, stop frowning. It's your birthday, for Kami's sake." She looked up at him. _

"_Maybe if you'd stop being annoying, I could try." She muttered. He took a few swift steps in front of her and held open the door to the bar. _

"_See, this is me, __**not**__ being annoying." She pointed to her face, a fake smile appearing there before she turned to walk through the door. _

"_Hey, why is it dark—?"_

"_Surprise!" Her frown turned into a scowl as she turned and glared at Kakashi. _

"_Seriously? Seriously." He stood in front of her now, his arms outstretched. _

"_Happy birthday!" She blinked, staring up at him through hooded eyes. "…Happy birthday!" He tried again through unsure tones, and this time, his cheerfulness more forced as she gave him a reaction he didn't expect. _

"_Hm." She pushed past him and the equally confused throng of Anbu operatives, making her way to the bar. He quickly caught up and took a seat next to her. _

"_What's wrong?" He asked, concern in his voice. It cost him a lot of money to pay these ninja who didn't even __**know**__ Sakura, just to yell surprise when she walked through the door. Now he was sure that fee was non-refundable, and that was kind of shitty considering he didn't get the happy, gleeful, surprised expression Sakura was supposed to give him when she was greeted by the mass of people. _

"_A glass of sake please." She told the bartender, tapping her hands on the counter before her drink was placed in front of her. "Thank-you," She said with a bright smile, picking up her drink and bringing it to her lips. _

"_Sakura?" He tried again. She looked at him through the corner of her eye. "Are you alright?" She sighed, her drink placed back on the counter with a low 'clink'. _

"_Yes, I'm fine. I just don't like surprises, Kakashi. And I don't like being dragged from my uncomfortable bed to a bar filled with people I don't even know coerced into yelling 'surprise.'" She said, mockingly holding up jazz hands. "How much did that cost you? All of the lights were shut off, and it took us a pretty long time to get here. These poor people had to wait in the dark." He frowned. They were pitied? What about his pockets? _

"_It's not about the price, Sakura. It's the thought. You like thoughts, so what's really the matter?" She sighed, finishing her drink. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "Is this about Sasuke?" He whispered. Her mouth gaped and closed repeatedly like a fish out of water as surprised gasps came from her throat. Getting over the initial shock, her head jerked back in confusion. And then her nostrils flared as anger bubbled deep within her. _

"_No! Why would this be about him? I couldn't give a rat's ass about him! That bastard is probably the __**last—**__"_

"_Sakura." _

"_**Okay."**__ Her ruse broke quickly. Quicker than he'd expected. He pursed his lips. "He was just a really big part of my last birthday—he was a part of my last three birthdays—and he was gone for a while, so having him back caused me to get comfortable. But now he's not a part of my birthday, and…" She frowned, then twirled her finger at the bartender for another glass of sake. _

"_Well, think of it this way." He waved his hand for his own drink. "No commitments, no problem. It's your birthday, so I'd bet anyone in this bar would be willing to have sex with you." He finished with his patented eye crinkle. She threw him a glare. "Okay…so, no." She huffed a sigh._

"_I guess you're right." She muttered. _

_"About the sex?" He offered. She threw him another glare. "No, no I guess not."_

_"We're not in a relationship anymore, and it's almost been a year. I should spread my wings," She said, her voice more upbeat. _

"_That's my girl." He patted her on the shoulder. "Now, I'll go see about those finances to pay off these drinks, or we'll be washing dishes in addition to laundry in the morning." She groaned. _

"_Ugh, it is our turn for that, isn't it?" He raised his eyebrows, getting up from his stool._

"_No, your turn. I'm the sponsor, remember?" He left her with a frown on her face. As soon as he was out of site, she called the bartender back over, making a slicing gesture across her neck. He nodded in understanding, quickly reaching beneath the counter and retrieving a vial no bigger than her thumb nail. She snatched it up off of the counter just as Kakashi returned. She smiled sweetly at him and he looked at her skeptically._

"_You know, since it's my birthday, I think you should do laundry." He chuckled. _

"_Sorry, Sakura-chan. Birthdays allow only but so much leeway." She frowned and then brightened again, an idea in mind. _

"_Why don't we drink for it?" He leaned in closer, his area of expertise coming in._

"_Why don't we?" He countered with a sly smile, waving the bartender back in front of them. "Two of your strongest." The man looked at Sakura and then left to fetch the drinks. A worried expression was etched across her face. _

_She was going to accidentally kill Kakashi. _

_She shook her head, her resolve still unmoving. The waiter returned, placing their drinks in front of them. She was tired, and she'd be damned if she had to wash a bunch of sweaty, blood-stained Anbu uniforms. She looked past him, squinting her eyes. He narrowed his and followed her gaze. _

"_What?" As he turned, she quickly uncapped the vial and poured its contents into his glass and threw the evidence behind the counter. He turned back toward her with confusion on his face. "What?" She shook her head quickly. _

"_Nothing, she's gone." Kakashi rolled his eyes as someone came up behind Sakura. _

"_Happy birthday, Sakura." He said in a smooth voice. Sakura turned around, a bright smile on her face, as who she remembered to be an Anbu Captain acknowledged her. Kakashi turned to the bartender, making a slicing gesture across his throat. The bartender rolled his eyes and produced another vial, unbeknownst to Kakashi, as the paid patron sweet talked Sakura. He uncapped the vial and poured its contents into Sakura's glass, quickly replacing the cap and putting the vial in his pocket. "I'll see you around," He finished with a wave goodbye as Sakura turned back around, flustered. _

"_Did you see that?" She asked excitedly. "He knew my __**name**__." Kakashi nodded along. _

"_Now about that bet…" He changed the subject. "Loser is whoever passes out first, and they have to do laundry tomorrow." Sakura nodded, determination in her eyes as she grabbed her glass and took a long swig. The liquid almost immediately evaporated, her insides flaring. _

"_You're on."_

_**-End Flashback-**_

She missed Kakashi's presence, and this was concluded by being in Sasuke's for an extended period of time. Don't get her wrong, she loved the Uchiha dearly. It's just that during their relationship, they found that they both could be annoying at times, and a break usually solved all problems.

"Another one." She said slowly to the bartender wiping down the counter. He looked up at her.

"You sure?" She nodded. He moved away again. The effects were instantaneous as she predicted, but it wasn't the drunk feeling she wanted. A headache was coming, and her body felt as if she was floating. With this in mind, it'd be even harder to pretend being drunk. There were no fools in this lounge, she knew, and after two of the strongest drinks they had, even the people accompanying her at the bar would know that no tolerance is that strong. Another glass was placed in front of her.

"You know, that's really dangerous." She inwardly sighed. She wanted a break from the target tonight, but she wasn't one in control of that. She swiveled on her barstool to face him, only for her heel to slip and cause her to teeter backwards. Yuuki quickly put a hand on the small of her back, thankfully preventing her from embarrassing herself before anyone even knew she was here. She wanted the feeling the drink provided and she wasn't disappointed. Apparently, her balance was the first to go. Anyway, beggars can't be choosers.

"I hear that a lot." She tested the cup in her hand, turning it around on the counter. Then she finally pushed it away.

"I didn't think you could actually hold your drinks," He said, surprised. She shrugged.

"I can't. You'll be seeing the affects in a few minutes. I actually lasted longer than I expected," She truthfully told him. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why the sudden need to get so drunk? I would start off with sake or wine if I was in it for the effect. It would come slow, but I would feel it and enjoy it. With that," He pointed to the glass on the counter. "The only thing you're rewarded with is a feeling of regret and a nasty hangover in the morning." She pursed her lips. Why didn't she think of that? She and Kakashi both passed out after taking a drink that strong. Thinking back on it, that wasn't really a fun memory. The both of them could barely move in the morning, and she remembered retching until she was heaving for practically air; the contents of her stomach already emptied. "Did something happen?" He asked. She was sure he had his finger on an invisible button somewhere, ready to call security at a moment's notice. She shook her head.

"No, no." He raised his eyebrows. "It's nothing. The details will only bore you to death." He shrugged.

"Try me." She sighed, inwardly fist-pumping. She held onto the counter as the swimming feeling came back. She tried to think of a plan as fast as she could before she couldn't string sentences together and her thoughts became incomprehensible.

"It's just Sai." She said, turning away. She felt his eyes on her, prompting her to continue. "He doesn't think I should dance here." She whispered. "I think he's more scared of the Snow incident happening again than I am." She finished with a scoff, laying her head against her upturned palm.

"So you've thought about dancing here, I see." She nodded. "Have you made a decision?" She shook her head.

"I haven't danced in so long—I haven't stripped in so long. And I love it. I don't know why I do, but I love it. I—" She sighed. "I've only just met you yet I'm treating you like my therapist. I apologize." He waved her away.

"It's alright." She bit her lip.

"I know I think Sai is being too overbearing, and I know it's just because he wants the best for me. But then again…" She smiled sadly at him. "Do I want to take my clothes off and risk the same thing happening again?" His eyes softened.

"How about this," He moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll talk to the Daimyo about having a press conference here on Saturday. A lot of people don't know you're here yet." She frowned. "You wouldn't believe how many Haruka copy cats run through this town. So on Saturday, we'll formally introduce you to the public, and you can announce your decision there." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"That's an awful lot of pressure for me to say yes, isn't it?" He smiled.

"That's kind of the point." He said with a chuckle. "I—"

"Haru," She heard him say before he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms loosely around her neck. She rolled her eyes. "Haru…" He breathed this time. She smelt the foulness of his breath from the drinks and sighed.

"Yes?" He placed sloppy kisses on her neck and it was from this that she knew he was truly drunk. They just spoke about his low tolerance—he _knew_ about his low tolerance, but there he was, _all night, _drinking his "so-called" distasteful wine. She forgot how much of an idiot Sasuke was, only being reminded by the fact that he actually got himself drunk.

"Could you…" He lips traced up her neck until he reached her ear. It was there that he whispered something much worse with practiced seductive words and a rehearsed sultry voice. Her eyes widened slightly. "Could we?" She closed her eyes.

"No, you're drunk." He frowned and pulled back.

"I know, I know, you'd like to finish your conversation here—" She held up a hand.

"Sai, _please_." He hummed.

"Take a walk with me, Haruka." He slurred, dragging her name out in a non-negotiable voice. She unsteadily rose from her stool with the support of Sasuke's hovering hand behind her back.

"I'll be right back." She said to Yuuki with a wave and smile.

"Maybe," Sasuke quipped. She glared at him and proceeded to turn back around, reassuring him with a mouthed 'I'll be back.'

The farther they got from the target the more Sakura wavered from his grasp. As the doors to the Lounge were opened, a wall of cold air hit her face and she was left with a swimming feeling. Her legs buckled.

"Whoa, whoa." Sasuke said, holding her up with what little he had left of his balance. He moved her against the wall. "What's wrong?" She shook her head.

"I took a drink." He raised his eyebrows.

"A?" She sighed.

"I took their strongest." He frowned.

"I thought alcohol was bad for you," She turned away from him.

"It is. I just—" She sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking." He scoffed.

"Are you thinking now?" He asked accusingly. She frowned.

"Yes…" She started slowly. "Apparently, because of my condition, alcohol doesn't provide the release it should. It only makes me feel sick to my stomach." _And woozy._

"You know, I don't see why they praise you for being a smartass." He breathed. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't know whether or not that was the drink talking.

"Excuse me?" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm Sakura." He started in a high-pitched voice, mocking hers. "I'm _so_ mad at Sasuke, I'm gonna go get myself drunk! Oh I know, I'll just take their strongest, that'll surely help my oncoming headache. But wait, isn't alcohol toxic to my body? No matter, it wasn't that big a deal the first time when I put everybody in a frenzy when I stopped breathing a few times." He finished the last part in forced tones. "You always let your anger get the best of you without even stopping to consider the repercussions later." He said, shaking his head. "Are you going to pass out? Or maybe you'll even have a seizure this time. Who knows? You don't." He finished scolding her, not noticing that he's moved so close. Her jaw was clenched and her fists were balled at her sides. He wanted her to hit him. He wanted her to prove him right. But she wasn't going to.

"You're causing a scene." She bit out. "And you're drunk." He outstretched his hands.

"And who cares?" He raised his voice. "They're wasted. They won't even remember my _voice._" He argued. "And I'm not drunk. I only had a few drinks. I'm _fine._" She pursed her lips. "It's called acting, Sakura. That's what this mission entails, and a whole lot of it. I know how to conduct myself on the job."

"I think I've known you long enough to know what's acting and what's not." She countered.

"It doesn't matter! At least in my state I still had half a mind to remember the mission! I could still remember why you dragged me to this damn Lounge in the first fucking place!" Her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened.

"I missed—"

"Yes, in your fit of selfish rage you left our table right before Mei was about to go on. I was left, by myself, to watch her through a throng of horny men. That wouldn't have even been a problem if she didn't stop by our table afterwards, inquiring your whereabouts." She sighed, rubbing a hand down her forehead.

"I can't believe—"

"Neither can I." She frowned, glaring at him.

"Well, if it wasn't for you, none of this would've happened!" He pursed his lips.

"Of course, because I was the one who stormed from the table to go drink myself silly." Her frown ran deeper as she pointed an accusing finger at his face.

"I _didn't! _I had _one_ drink. How many have you had, by the way?" He turned away from her.

"That really doesn't matter right now, considering you're really fucking up this mission." She was taken aback.

"I missed Mei taking her clothes off! You act like I blew the whole fucking—"

"Your job didn't even start yet and your already bullshitting." She angrily ran a hand through her hair.

"_God, _Sasuke!" She exclaimed. "You push my buttons on purpose, don't you?" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "And _really_, what do you expect as a result? A kiss?" He shrugged.

"Kind of." She narrowed her eyes.

_"Seriously?"_ She shouted. He pursed his lips, sighing in annoyance.

"This just goes to show how much you _can't _control your anger, even on a mission. You have to have some professionalism, Sakura." She fumed.

"You—"

"Haven't yelled at you once. And I'm causing a scene?" He was right. She pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to contain her anger. He was _so_ right. She exhaled deeply and opened her eyes.

"Sasuke, I'm going back to the hotel." He rolled his eyes.

"That has nothing to do with me. I'll be staying here." She huffed at his unaffected attitude. "But I'll be back in time for our porn date."

"That's off, too. I have to get the rest of this alcohol out of my body, and I've only neutralized a bit of it." He shrugged again, making her more upset.

"That's alright, then. I'll get porn here." She narrowed her eyes.

"Fine. I can't walk by myself, so I'll just have Yuuki do it." He raised his eyebrows at this.

"Yuuki?" She nodded defiantly. He rolled his tongue around his mouth. "That's right. You'll be fucking him soon." Her anger bubbled, finally uncapping. He's been asking for it all night, _literally_, and she refused to disappoint. Her hands were balled at her sides, ready, before he opened his mouth again. "Or is it me first? Maybe both—" She swung for his face and he caught her fist, forcing her back onto the wall. He crushed his lips to hers, her mouth still open from surprise. He took this as his invitation in. She put her hand on his face and pushed him away, breathing heavily. "That one was from me." He stated. She continued to pant as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around, walking away. "You have _got_ to stop aggravating my face, Sakura."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted. "You keep _confusing _me." The last part was whispered as she thought of his varying emotions in the last ten minutes.

He stopped and faced her. "I'm drunk, remember?" And then he pressed his hands together and took a short bow before turning back around and disappearing into the night. He left behind a mind blown Sakura, who couldn't even imagine where he was going. Without another thought, she turned back around and pushed open the doors to the Lounge. She traced her steps back to the bar.

"You're going to take the girls out tomorrow, right?" She heard Yuuki say, causing her to stop abruptly. She casually leaned against the small divide that came before the bar.

"Sure," She heard a female voice. She didn't want to make any assumptions because it seemed to be a casual conversation so far.

"Can you make sure they're decent this time, Terumi?"

"What's the big occasion?" He sighed.

"We have some visitors."

"Visitors?"

"Possibly a new dancer." She heard Terumi snort.

"So why exactly are we covering up for a new girl?" He sighed again.

"She's not exactly from around here, and I'm sure such a blatant show of indecency outside of the confines of the Lounge might just scare her away."

"Who is this prude?"

"Terumi," He said in a warning tone.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it. Just—" Sakura took this time to appear from behind the divide. She continued obliviously to her now occupied seat by the woman who she assumed was Terumi. Yuuki quickly looked up at her and smiled.

"You made it back," She smiled sheepishly.

"I told you I would." She heard another snort from Terumi before she swiveled around in the stool to find out just who Yuuki was waiting on. And then her jaw dropped.

"Are you—?"

"Haruka, this is Terumi, one of my dancers." Sakura nodded and held out her hand to the awestricken girl, who she now noticed wasn't wearing a top.

And boy was she busty.

There was leather straps wrapped around her waist, and she saw suspenders hanging there. She had on thigh-high black leather boots, and upon further inconspicuous inspection, Sakura also noticed that she didn't have panties on either. It must've been her long, unruly blond hair that prevented her from seeing the nakedness of the dancer in front of her. She forced a smile and continued unaffected anyway.

Her hand was firmly shaken. "Haruka Tan—what are you doing in a place like Yugakure?" She asked excitedly. Sakura shrugged.

"Um, I'm in between moves, I guess. Trying new things, new people, new places…" She dragged out. Terumi brightened.

"New things—then you could come with us!" She pressed her hands together against her chest. Sakura pursed her lips.

"Well…" The girl pouted.

"Oh, _please?_" She truly was a master of seduction, because the persuasive look in her big blue puppy dog eyes would probably make Sakura have sex with her, and she was only asking for her to join them around the Village.

"Would you?" Yuuki added in nonchalantly. To his dancer it might've seemed like a harmless question, but Sakura could see through his ruse. It was just a part of his plan. Sakura indiscreetly rolled her eyes before putting on a smile.

"Sure, I don't see why not, then." He nodded in affirmation, a slight smile on his lips. Hers formed a straight line.

"Alright, now that that's settled, I'll just get back to work." She motioned to Yuuki and rose, waving goodbye. "Nice meeting you, Haruka Tan. See you tomorrow!" She bounded away before breaking into a strut, earning her many catcalls and beckons. She turned back to Yuuki and sat back down her seat, trying to ignore the fact that a naked stripper just previously inhabited it.

"You're very straightforward. Are you new to the 'sucking up' thing?" She said while folding her fingers against her lap. He laughed.

"No, no. I'll do many a thing for something I want." He answered, his voice deeper. She raised her eyebrows.

"Oh?" He nodded. "So would you be willing to walk a prospective dancer back to her hotel?" It was his turn to raise his eyebrows.

"And what of Sai?" She huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Wasted." She muttered. He tilted his head upward in understanding.

"So you're too scared to walk on your own." He suggested. She jerked her head back.

"No, but—" She paused. "Drunk as hell so he can't do it his own damn self, yet he still insisted on finding myself an escort. So annoying, I tell you." She said to herself, turning her attention back to him to see his skeptical expression. "Oh don't worry. My hotel is three blocks from here. Literally."

"Then we should be leaving now." He rose and held out a hand. Helping her up, he made sure she was steady on her feet before stepping back and letting her teeter in front of him. He kept close to Sakura, helping her quickly recover after a missed step or trip. No need to make a scene.

As the cold night air hit her face, her legs buckled once again.

"Last time drinking. Promise." She reassured herself and Yuuki as the strong hands on her waist helped her back to her feet.

"After this, I wouldn't doubt it. But you are holding up more than I thought anyone would with that drink. Usually you'd be sick to your stomach." She walked close to him, using his arm as a support system. He smelled nice. And expensive.

"Believe me, it's coming." She muttered, burying her face in the sleeve of his coat jacket. She lightly held onto his forearm.

"Are you cold?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I'm fine." Another breeze flew in and she immediately shivered. "I don't understand how it's so damn hot during the day—"

"Blistering." He chimed in, shrugging off his jacket.

"—and then at night it gets so cold." He placed his jacket on her shoulders. It draped over her body.

"I thought you were from Snow," She hummed.

"That's true." He narrowed his eyebrows.

"Then…" She sighed.

"Tabloids don't tell everything, Yuuki." She let go of his arm and turned to face him. "Especially not the truth." She finished with a pointed look before stepping up on the tips of her heels and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for walking me home." He raised his eyebrows. "I appreciate it."

"Home?" He followed up. She shrugged her shoulders, the large jacket shuffling.

"I guess for a little while." She said with a smile before turning back around and heading down the long walkway toward the large glass doors of their hotel. The doorman proceeded to step aside and hold it open for her.

"Haruka!" She heard Yuuki call once she stepped through the door. Smiling to herself, she turned back around.

"Yes?" He outstretched his arms.

"So…when can I learn the truth?" She smiled again. Tapping a manicured digit to her temple, she held up her finger, adding that to a list of things she promised to think about. She then turned back around and headed into the hotel.

She finally tripped and fell onto her knees, releasing the contents of her stomach. She heaved until there was nothing left but bile, and even then her stomach continued to contract as if she could regurgitate her intestines. That was probably her lunch, it was all she ate. She couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that flooded her body as she looked down into the mess she left on the luxurious carpet of their grand hotel.

Her lunch was _really_ expensive.

"And she finally gets sick." She heard Yuuki say playfully. She sighed heavily, noticing the tips of her hair covered in the stuff. If only he'd been here a few seconds ago to hold her hair back.

"What gave it away?" She whispered, the contractions and heaving she just went through leaving her abdomen weak and her arms heavy, tempting her to fall face first in her lunch. Her bangs were covering her eyes, more so than usual because of the sweat now coating her skin. She saw Yuuki's dress shoes walk past her toward the counter, the previously disgusted receptionist smiling brightly.

"Could you get someone to clean this up?" She nodded fervently.

"Yes, yes of course, Yashimata-san." She heard a loud beeping sound, probably a page, and then within minutes someone was in front of her.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss." Yuuki said. Sakura would roll her eyes if she didn't have the feeling to throw up again. She saw a bucket land in front of her as her regurgitated lunch was vacuumed and deposited in the bucket. She didn't know how many minutes passed by as she watched, fascinated by the high-powered cleaner that flushed the carpet with soap and water, and then continued to dry it. Did she forget how to move? Did Yuuki leave her? Her arms were locked in the same position she fell in. She could go to sleep, right here. Her eyesight was starting to fail her, anyway. And her head was pounding. But isn't it always?

"Haruka, are you alright?" Her eyes fluttered open. Yuuki was crouched in front of her with his hands on his knees, a concerned look on his face.

"I don't know." She whispered unintelligently.

"The carpets clean," He said with a chuckle. She swallowed, only for the remaining bile to go back down her throat, causing her to gag. "Are you alright?" Her arms were trying to give out, and she desperately dug her fingernails into the carpet to keep that from happening. "Can you walk?" She closed her eyes.

"I don't know." He got back up and held out a hand. She put all of her strength into her left arm and reached out to him with her right. He grabbed her small hand and her forearm and gently pulled her to her feet. "Can I carry you?" She shook her head.

"No, no I'll walk." She breathed. He helped her to the receptionist desk.

"Room key for Tan?" The woman frowned, obviously jealous of Sakura. If she was right in the head, she would actually feel pretty good about herself. But seeing as though she still has puke in her hair, her self-esteem has definitely taken a plunge. She handed Yuuki a key as he led Sakura toward the elevator. "Did someone spike your drink?" He hit the down button as she frowned.

"I don't think so…" The doors to the elevator opened and he ushered her inside.

"What floor?" She bit her lip as she leaned against the rail in the mirrored elevator. She looked like hell. Dark bags already shone beneath her eyes and the red lipstick on her lips was starting to fade. Thinking about her hair made her want to cry, and her stomach felt like it was a black hole; caving in on itself.

"Um…13, I think." He chuckled.

"You hope. I don't think even I can go around trying to unlock every room labeled 44A." She managed a snort. It wouldn't be that hard to miss, anyway, it was a penthouse suite. She was sure with his expensive background, he could at least recognize those. As the elevator started to move, a loud 'ping' was heard throughout the small space, only intensifying her headache. The doors opened and Yuuki helped her onto steady ground. They navigated through her floor until they reached the end of the hall and finally found her suite. To his surprise, it opened. As she walked through, he lingered at the door. "Should I come in?" She shook her head again, leaning against the door frame with the knob in her hand.

"No—" He raised his eyebrows. "No. Sai would get upset if he saw you here, and I'm sure walking me home didn't win you any points either." She said quietly, as if Sasuke was lurking around the corner. Well, he could be. She rolled her eyes. "Not to mention I'm already in trouble." His eyebrows furrowed.

"Trouble?" She sighed.

"He…he told me not to drink because I couldn't handle it, and then I went and took the strongest there was." She chuckled softly at herself and shook her head at her rambling. "Anyway, thank-you so much, Yuuki. I really appreciate this." She touched his arm. "Goodnight," She started to shut the door.

"See you around?" He asked, peeking through the crevices. She tapped her temple before continuing to shut it.

She took one step before her legs gave out completely. As her knees hit the ground, one word flashed through her mind before her face followed.

'_Shit.'_

* * *

><p><em>It's been a while, but thank you for waiting with me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and promise, promise, promise I'll try to make the next one show up a little bit faster. Yes, yes, you see SasuSaku now, but that was written in the fine print of the terms and conditions now wasn't it? Who wishes they would've taken the time out to read it? But I promised you Kakashi and Sakura, and you'll get it. Be patient, young children. And don't forget to review, they make the world go around! Your girl, <em>

_-Keoo19_


	21. Compromise

**Compromise**

* * *

><p>"<em>Ohhhh," <em>She groaned, slapping a hand onto her forehead. "Ohhh, my h—"

"Just like that, baby." She froze. Her eyes shot open. "Scream louder for me." She felt a grinding motion against her ass.

"Sasuke."

"Say my name," One hand was constantly squeezing her behind while the other was at her breasts.

Where did her top go?

"You like that?" He asked, albeit rhetorically, before hasted kisses were placed across her neck. She panicked, his kisses gravitating toward her mouth. She then elbowed him between the legs. _"Shit!" _He cried, rolling over with his legs crossed tightly and pulled to his chest. She almost regretted her decision. She panicked. Why did she panic? She had to get use to Sasuke, _again_, because he'd be her love interest for the duration of the mission. If she couldn't get used to him outside of the public's eye, then she might _accidentally_ not switch back. And that would be bad. Oh, that would be bad. She watched as he bit down on his lip to keep the tears brimming his eyes at bay. "_Oh, shit._" He whispered shakily. The pain was still there, she noticed, as he accidentally rolled himself right off of the bed. "What the hell, Sakura?" He squeezed out in a breath. "What the hell?" She pursed her lips, tiredly rolling over to face him. She propped her elbow up on the pillow and placed her chin in her upturned palm.

"I should be asking you the exact same question." She said quietly. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"You just elbowed me in the fucking balls!" She squeezed her eyes shut. She was very aware.

"Please stop yelling." He sat with his legs tightly wound together and his hands on his groin. "Sasuke, you were humping my ass and telling me to scream louder. That doesn't raise any flags for you?" He frowned, turning away.

"It's the _morning._" He muttered. She blinked.

"And I'm naked. Why is that?" He opened his mouth and immediately closed it.

"You're not naked," He tried.

"And you're not answering my question." She countered.

"Your clothes were spoiled," She pursed her lips.

"I have suitcases filled with clean ones." She deadpanned as he frowned.

"I couldn't find them." Sakura slowly turned her head to the corner of their room by the door. There were four large, bright red suitcases and two small ones. "Okay, I didn't look." He was looking now, just not at her suitcases. She ducked lower trying to find his gaze.

"Watch it, Uchiha." He rolled his eyes.

"For Kami's sake, I was just at a strip club last night. Can I get a break?"

She groaned and fell face first into the pillow. "What did I tell you about the _yelling._" She sighed, her head still pounding. "What time did you get in?" Her voice was muffled from the pillow.

"What time is it now?" She raised her head and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside their bed.

"9:12," She managed before laying back down.

"I didn't get much sleep, I know that." He rose slowly and started teetering toward their bathroom. She heard him mutter 'this hurts so badly,' and watched as he stopped when he got to the door. "Hey, are you alright?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He turned back around.

"Well, I walk through the door to see you passed out. Of course, that wasn't my first reaction. My first reaction was that Yuuki was actually a hitman and he killed you in cold blood. So I panicked." She cocked her head to the side, appearing amused.

"And how'd you find out I wasn't dead?" He pushed the door open to the bathroom.

"You woke up and threw up on me. Repeatedly." She looked past him and saw her clothes lying in a heap on the tiled floor.

"Wow," Was all she could say.

"I know right. It was all gooey and liquid-like—" She waved him away.

"No, no." He frowned. "I'm just glad I woke up and emptied my stomach. That could've been disastrous for the bed." He rolled his eyes.

"Right, because I don't mind that you threw up on me, as long as the bed's okay." He mocked, a frown frozen on his face. She ignored him, her eyes closing as she placed a glowing hand to her forehead.

"Much better," She sighed, the soothing effects of her healing chakra coursing through her veins.

"I was really scared, Sakura." She perked up at his whisper. "You can't drink alcohol until we fix you. Until you're okay." He stressed. "You stopped breathing three times—" He stopped himself, sighing as he leant against the doorframe. "Just don't do that again." He finished, his voice strained. She nodded, her teeth gnawing away at her bottom lip. She was reckless and stupid last night, and didn't think at all about what the alcohol could actually do to her. She knew these were the words Sasuke actually wanted to say. He propped himself up and turned to enter the bathroom.

"But wait,"

He gestured to the bottom half of his body with outstretched hands. "I have to take care of this, Sakura." She nodded.

"I know, I know. Go." He nodded and closed the door behind himself, the water to the shower immediately began running.

She rolled onto her back, laying a hand on her stomach. Chakra coursed through her body trying to neutralize any remnants of her drink from the previous night. She waited, feeling the pain of her headache slowly ebb away as thoughts that would surely cause one entered her mind. She sighed.

She didn't know whether Sasuke's previous escapade bothered her. And that bothered her.

Was his dream about her? He never once said her name, and in a way that relieved her. There were boundaries they're not supposed to cross yet, and surely a wet dream about your ex-girlfriend is obviously on the other side of that boundary. Even if they _were_ pretty close to jumping over that invisible line due to Sasuke's urging in the restroom. But that also gave her some insight on the sex aspect of him. Was his previous words practiced or spontaneous? During their relationship, Sasuke was a 'no words' type of guy. He wasn't the kind of person to whisper sweet nothings in Sakura's ear during their encounters, so she couldn't help but be a little surprised. Either way, she didn't think she could handle the 'baby' and 'scream louder for me.' Sakura was an experienced stripper and seductress, but there was only so much she could fake without having ventured far in her sex life.

But seriously, how far did Sakura think she was going to get on the sex experience of a lioness? She was used for release with only a moment of pleasure and _never _got her turn. She sighed. Sakura knew how far she could tease a man. Her three month mission in Snow put her in a position where she had to give many dances. She knew how to perform, that wasn't the problem. The problem would be convincing a man who's engaged to be married to cheat on his fiancée. With a _stripper. _Influencing a man into a dance, easy work. Influencing a man to sleep with her _might_ be up a level or two on the difficulty scale.

The truth in the matter was, she was scared. She pursued Ren because she was attracted to him, and that was for all the wrong reasons. Back when she was locked up in the pits of Grass's Anbu headquarters, back when she would give anything to hear the sound of Kakashi's voice. A voice that became a solace to her in the span of two years, a voice that was then, more common than Naruto's. And because of that, when she heard Ren's voice, she was immediately mesmerized by it. By the lips she easily confused with Kakashi's pair. Back when she confused Kakashi's kiss for more than it would _ever_ be, back when she had dreams of acting on it once she returned. Of course, those dreams faded alongside her reality and her sanity, so somewhere in the depths of her mind, they were still there. But they were lost. It bobbed above the surface after their game of extreme tag, and especially in the form of jealously once she found out that Kimura had sex with him.

She refused to let it resurface again.

Whatever she has with Kakashi is platonic, and back then, it was a means to an end. He foolishly kissed her for the purpose of shutting her up. He gave her ideas, _unfathomable ideas, _ones that she took to the hell hole. What made it worse? It was the _last _idea she took to that hell hole, so she had no choice but to think she and Kakashi could try it for a little while, if only for a little while. Her sanity was misplaced, along with the implausibility that she and Kakashi could ever be an item.

But she was past that. She could forgive and forget about the kiss.

It was just that when she saw Ren, the uncanny similarities between the two drove her to the edge. Kakashi was _literally_ replaced. Albeit, by someone within her age group, someone who didn't watch her grow up, someone who wasn't _so damn unattainable._ And she was happy. An unfamiliar face, _a new beginning_. Ren was new, and Ren was hers. Because of this, she became blind to a few things. Kakashi liked to call it her 'damned tunnel vision.' What was she thinking? She wanted a younger, fresher, more attainable Kakashi. She got it.

Oh, she got it in full force.

He was a self-acclaimed sex guru and a women magnet at that. To put it in simple terms, he was a player, just like Kakashi. Wasn't into the whole 'relationship' thing, but would do whatever he had to, smooth words and smiles for Sakura, to create his means to an end. To "pop Sakura's little cherry." And it was accomplished. What happened after that? He was gone, onto the next. Although, Kimura did give a little faster than Sakura did, if she could claim credit for her staying power. Another thing Ren and Kakashi had in common. Kimura. It was during the whole fiasco where Sakura found out her flawed thinking. They were all a "Kakashi," men that is, in their own way. Be it big or small, they all had a piece of Kakashi in them. It started with Neji, moved on to Sasuke, and horribly ended with Ren. She closed the door to her heart after him. When that was shut, she decided she would put off relationships for a while, and focus on actually getting her broken life back together. But then her cruel, cruel Shishou assigned her this damn mission.

And what was this all about anyway? Forcing her back into intimate proximity with Sasuke? If her plan was to rekindle a flame then she was sorely mistaken. Sakura has overheard the crotchety old woman talking about the superb offspring that could be produced by combining perfect chakra control with the Sharingan. And Sakura wasn't stupid. She could've just as easily gotten into this role with Kakashi as well. She and Sasuke's background provided no means for them to be put as partners for this mission. Having locked away any possibility of she and Kakashi, the mission would've been easier with him. And she wouldn't get confused, like she was with Sasuke right now.

Those kisses he gives her, and the touches, and the—she's just very confused. He's playing tricks on her mind. _She _was the goddamned Genjutsu expert, and he had _no_ right to do that. So what happened this morning? She was getting confused again, with not many explanations left. Maybe she was a blowup doll for Sasuke. She knew how Kakashi got after alcohol and porn, and because she just has _the best_ luck, she's always the closest thing to them with tits and ass when they need to release themselves. She never asked Kakashi about it, but maybe there was another face in his mind. Sasuke was grabbing her breasts pretty harshly, as if they were bigger than they actually were. It was unnerving though, the thought that she was just his release while it was another Sstripper in his mind. If he was going to use her, she better be the picture in his mind as well.

Speaking of release, she wondered who was on Sasuke's mind right now. She was nowhere near as skilled as Kakashi, but being around him enough helped her develop a certain sound sensitivity. It wasn't very familiar, but she knew what it meant when she heard low moaning coming from inside of the bathroom. Looking over at the clock, she noticed Sasuke's been in there for almost an hour now. The sound meant he'd be exiting soon. She rolled onto her back and crossed her arms behind her head, her cerulean blue hair mussed up and splayed around her in loose, messy curls. She heard the shower turn off.

"Alright, what did you want to—" He stopped, the telltale shuffling of the carpeted floor. She heard him inhale sharply and she turned to face him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He shook his head and started again, diving onto the bed beside her. "You are _so_ not slick, Sakura." She frowned.

"Slick?" He breathed into her neck as he wrapped his arms loosely around her middle.

"You don't mind being topless beside me?" She looked down and her mouth formed an 'o.' The covers were lying below her waist, the upper part of her body fully exposed.

"Oh...no." He pursed his lips.

"I've missed this Sakura…" She rolled her eyes. He moved closer to her now, his lips were touching the base of her neck. She bit her lip. "You know your skin puts me on edge—" He emphasized his words by brushing his thumb across her nipple. Her teeth showed her bottom lip no mercy. "Right?" He whispered. Her eyes closed, remembering the many times he's whispered this to her.

"…Yes." Sasuke didn't show emotion a lot. It was either all or nothing. Given their mission requirements, she was going to have to get him to show all again. It's been a while since she's gotten anybody to give her everything, and in the back of her mind she thought she'd lost her touch. But now she knows she couldn't have lost it completely; she somehow got Ren with bald spots and black eyes.

She turned around to face him, moving her forehead to touch his. She stared him down and immediately noticed it was unnerving for him. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" She pursed her lips.

"Your dream," He frowned, releasing her from his grasp. He rolled onto his back and crossing his arms behind his head, he exhaled.

"Right." She bit her lip and sat up, awaiting his answer.

"So, who was it about?" He furrowed his eyebrows, his attention on the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" She narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean 'what do you mean?' The question was simple." He sighed.

"I can't just go around discussing the details of my dream," She frowned.

"Well considering I was a part of the play, I think I'm entitled to some rights." He rolled his eyes.

"It was an accident." He muttered. She threw him a pointed look, causing him to sigh again. "It was you. A bustier version, that is." He commented, nodding to her breasts. She looked down and frowned.

"Well, why?" He pursed his lips.

"Sakura, your breasts aren't the biggest. They're actually pretty small, to tell you the truth—" Her frown ran deeper.

"I _mean,_ why me…you know, for your dream?" She muttered 'jerk' underneath her breath.

"I can't control my dreams. I certainly can't control, you know…him." He gestured to the lower part of his body covered by the sheets.

"So your mind involuntary chose me as your blow-up doll?" He shrugged. "Why not someone more well-rounded?" He hummed.

"Like Ten—" He stopped himself as he noticed the scowl appearing on her face. Then she sighed.

"Yeah, like her." He shrugged his shoulders again.

"Well, I was with you, not her."

"But you've had sex with her," He narrowed his eyes.

"That's true," Her lips formed a straight line.

"On more than one occasion—"

"Sakura, could you just—" He exhaled. "Look, _maybe_ you're more appealing to me than she is. I don't know. It was my subconscious, remember?" She huffed. "Now what did you have to ask me?" He moved closer and brought her back into his embrace. She struggled against him.

"Would you…get off—" She pushed his prying fingers away from her person with a final push to his chest.

"So?" She frowned.

"So what?" He rolled his eyes.

"Did you just want my presence before I took a shower, or…" She pursed her lips in thought. She quickly revisited her question. Asking Sasuke whether he still had feelings for her wouldn't go over so well. And on top of that it would be bad timing. While the new Sasuke is very appealing to her, not to mention the years have been kind to him. Well-mannered, for the most part, attractive, more defined—she definitely loved the new Sasuke. But she wasn't _in love _with him, and she wasn't going to put herself in that position again. While he did grow up, tremendously…she knew he was just the same. Besides, there was that one underlying mission requirement.

"Maybe we could go grab a bite to eat?" He shrugged.

"Whatever."

Sasuke and Sakura were required to act the part of a couple to further the mission. They were going to have to have sex. Now they were a couple before. This mission was supposed to be easy. Despite their break-up, they were used to each other romantically, so getting back into a role that they've already visited should've lowered its difficulty exceedingly. But Sasuke and Sakura failed horribly in the one aspect that made them a couple. Sex. Now if they would've done it when they were supposed to, this mission wouldn't make her nervous. But she wasn't a virgin. Sex wasn't necessarily the problem anymore. It was probably the 'who' she was going to have to do the act with. So, of course, asking Sasuke whether or not he was still in love with her would ruin whatever platonic relationship they had. Because, what if he was? If he admitted that then maybe he wasn't the same Sasuke as before. And that would make her think. If Ren's sweet words could make her fall in love _and_ have sex with him, then the sex would definitely make her fall in love with Sasuke. And Kami knew that would complicate things to the extreme. She quickly decided she'd rather not know.

"Um…" Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Hm?" She perked up, a surprised expression on her face as she was pulled out of her thoughts. For a second she panicked, worrying that he's read her mind.

"So do you want to shower before we go or the throw-up smell is fine for you…?" She frowned at his sarcasm but on the inside was relieved. She rose, sauntering toward the bathroom.

"Now I know I've told you this countless times before, so this shouldn't be anything short of a friendly reminder." He heard a sweet voice followed by Sakura's head and bare shoulders peek from behind the door.

"Hm?" He grunted noncommittally, his eyes closed and his arms folded behind his head.

"I'll let this morning go, but we've talked about your hands being detached if I find them someplace I don't like. Let's not have a repeat of this." She finished, her voice still sweet but with an edge to it. His eyes opened. After a minute he nodded his head, trying to act indifferent.

"Yeah, sure." The door to the bathroom was closed again and he heard the water running.

Because they both knew what happened the last time Sakura found Sasuke's hands someplace she didn't like.

* * *

><p>"Private or public?" She asked as he led her hand in hand through the crowd of people mulling about the village square. Once they were able to get close to each other again, he whispered "Private" in her ear. It was close enough that she felt his lips on her temple, something that sent jitters down her spine. Something that shouldn't have.<p>

"Are you cold?" He caught her shiver. She wrapped her arms around her barely clothed chest. "Well, no one told you to walk out like that." She frowned at his lack of consideration. It was always hot in Yugakure. Always. They had two seasons year round, and that was Spring and Summer. So there was no such thing as 'cold' in this Village. But there was cool, and that's what she was. The sun was shining, very annoyingly if she might add, and she felt the heat from its beams of light, but there was also that breeze blowing every few seconds that reminded her just how _cool _she was. "Maybe next time you'll consider the weather, yeah?" She found herself grumbling "jerk" under her breath. She was just playing her role. Not wearing much was in the job description. The weather doesn't exactly fit in. "The least you could've done is put a sweater on." She _definitely_ doesn't remember seeing "Put on a conservative sweater if it's cold out," in the small print. Besides, it was nowhere near cold out, just a slight breeze. What made her shiver was his proximity. "I really don't appreciate my nipples out for Yugakure to see." Through all of her inner-mumbling, though, she had to admit he was right. Her tank-top was low cut and very loose. The sides of her breasts could be seen through the sleeves of her top, and whenever there was a breeze, or Sasuke did _that, _it was like headlights beaming from her chest. She still frowned.

_"My_ nipples, Sasuke. Mine." He ignored her.

"At least you had the decency to put some stockings on—"

"Leggings—" She muttered.

"Although, I still don't approve. You got my ass all out for Yugakure's show and tell." She huffed.

_"My_ ass, Sasuke._ Mine_." She said through gritted teeth.

"Your toes look nice, by the way." She looked down to her cerulean blue toes peeking from her flip-flops.

"Oh, so I can have custody over my toes?" She grumbled sarcastically.

"Yes. Toes are…I tolerate them." She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? _Just tolerate?_" He shot her a warning glare and she broke into laughter. "I seem to remember you more than _just tolerating_ my toes—"

"Sakura." He said in a tone of finality that didn't stop her laughter but at least got her to move on from the subject.

"To each their own," She finally said in a serious tone, as the remnants of a smile still played on her lips. He turned and looked at her, a scowl on his features, as they rounded the corner and he pointed to a small restaurant in the distance. It was right beside an ally, and the people she did see that looked interested in the strip it was located on, walked right past it. She nodded and Sasuke took her hand once again as they started toward the restaurant.

"Do you think I'll be recognized here?" He held the door open for her and then walked through. He paused, taking inventory of the place.

"They shouldn't, but Yugakure is a dirty, dirty place. So you'd never know." Sakura bit her lip as she saw table after table filled with families, some with couples, and the counter was filled with customers. The place was bustling with happy waiters and the sound of babies crying and little kids running around their family's tables.

"Kami…" She breathed. Sasuke must've noticed her nervousness because he gently pushed her forward with a hand at the small of her back.

"Come on, Haruka." She stopped against his urging.

"There's another place we can find, I'm sure—"

"Table for two, please. Something secluded." Sakura frowned as Sasuke, a few feet to the left of her, conversed with a waiter.

"We have a window seat if that's okay with you two." Sasuke smiled.

"Perfect." The waiter nodded and led Sasuke toward the back. Sakura reluctantly followed. A child brushed past her legs and she jumped, grabbing ahold of Sasuke's hand. He looked back with his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Here you are," The waiter gestured out to their window booth. "Someone will be along to further assist you shortly."

"Thank-you." Sasuke answered with a curt nod. The waiter turned and walked away. Sasuke waited until Sakura slid into her side of the booth before he got situated. He noticed how still and quiet she was. "What's wrong?" She blinked rapidly, snapping out her thoughts.

"Uh…"

"You wanted private, right?" She sighed.

"Yes, but—"

"And I think this is as private as public gets." She nodded.

"I know, but—"

"We're a power couple, but we're also just a couple. We don't always have to go to the most expensive—"

"Sasuke, I know our role." She finally interrupted him. "It's just…it's the kids." She exhaled shakily. "I guess it's just a female thing." He pursed his lips, still confused. His silence urged her to continue. "I mean…I do want kids one day…I think. But with my profession…" She sighed again. "I can't bring a child into this world while I face the prospect of death every day." She left his gaze and looked outside the window instead, the Village bustling at the peak of the morning. "The kids don't scare me. I guess it's the idea of the kids…" Sasuke let out a "Hn." "What?"

"I've never seen you so out of your skin about anything, let alone children." He said with a shrug as she frowned. A different waiter approached their table just as Sakura opened her mouth to retort.

"How can I help you this morning?" Sakura blinked a few times and realized she hasn't looked at her menu. She turned back to Sasuke to see his nose buried behind the folded laminate. This made her frown. He hummed in thought, a knowing smile on his face, and let the menu slap down on the wooden table.

"I'll have Okayu and Tamagoyaki please." The waiter pulled a notepad out from inside of his apron.

"And to drink?" Sasuke placed a finger on his chin and clicked his tounge, ignoring the glares coming from across the table.

"Coffee. Black." The waiter nodded and scribbled something on the pad before turning to Sakura. Her jaw was clenched and her hands were fisted in her lap. She was fuming. The waiter took a step back.

"Miss?" She didn't turn to acknowledge him, instead, continued to stare daggers at Sasuke as he held a laugh back.

"She'll have the same. With jasmine tea." Sasuke managed between laughs. The waiter nodded slowly and walked away. Sasuke let his control go and his amusement flowed freely throughout their secluded corner. She continued to seethe with anger.

"Why the hell—" She started.

"What?" He said amusedly with his arms outstretch. "I did no wrong." She scowled.

"You—"

"Ah?" He leaned closer.

"You…"

"Hm?" She huffed. "If you wanted me to remind you to read instead of rant, you could've said something."

"I hate you so much." She growled. He chuckled.

"Right." They sat in silence for a few minutes as Sakura observed the village from the window. She seemed interested in the different atmosphere of Yugakure. He then folded his hands atop the table and sighed. "Sakura, look." She turned away from the window.

"Hm?" Her anger already subsided. He pursed his lips.

"About last night…" Her eyebrows furrowed as her expression quickly turned to one filled with confusion.

"Last night?" He blinked.

"Yeah, about the whole—" The waiter was quick to return with their order. He removed their food and drinks from its platter and placed it down in front of them. With a nod he turned and left.

Without a second thought, Sakura gulped down a swig of her tea and proceeded to gobble down her creamed grain. Sasuke looked on in horror as Sakura made no regards to cleanliness, or even basic table manners, while she ate in front of him. His eyes widened further as a piece of rice fell on his cheek.

"Sakura?" He heard a loud 'clang' as her utensils were dropped into what was left of her breakfast and it was pushed away from her. She folded her hands. "What the hell…?" She sighed, propping her elbow up on the table and sitting her chin upon her upturned hand.

"Sorry… I forgot who I was with." The shocked expression remained on his face.

"Who do you eat like that with? Pigs?" He exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

"No, Baka." She pouted as a feeling of longing overtook her. "Kakashi eats really fast, and he has a really big appetite. If I feel like eating, I have to eat it fast." It was Sasuke's turn to roll his eyes.

"Kakashi has had a really bad influence on you, you know that right?" She scoffed.

"You think?" He paused.

"Are you guys alright now?" She bit her lip in thought.

"I mean, I _think_ so…We were on good terms before we ported but I never know with Kakashi." She shook her head. "I doubt there's anything left for him to badger me about since the interrogation kind of bore all." Sasuke frowned, specifically remembering their interrogation and how hers and Kakashi's must've been ten times worse. He thought back to their encounters after the interrogation and remembered they didn't seem to be on bad terms during the debrief. He just hoped they were alright for the sake of their mission. He sighed, using his hands to crack his neck, when he noticed a boy in a booth across the room staring at Sakura. His instinctive Sharingan _almost_ activated but then he remembered where he was.

"Sakura, don't look now, but—" She was eating her breakfast a lot more ladylike when she looked up.

"What?" She answered with a mouthful of food. He ignored that part and continued.

"There's a boy to your left—" Her head immediately whipped to the left as she locked eyes with the boy who was staring at her. His eyes widened and he looked away. "Sakura, what the hell don't you understand about 'don't look now?'" He said exasperatedly. Sakura turned back to Sasuke.

"Why does he look so creepy?" She exclaimed with widened eyes. "How long was he staring at me?" He rolled his eyes.

"I recognized it about a minute ago. Could've found out a little more if you knew how to be subtle." He muttered. Her mouth formed an 'o.' She folded her arms across her chest in frustration.

"Oh please. Subtlety is my specialty." She finished with a frown as he chuckled.

"I think you're a little off the mark there, _Haruka." _Her frown ran deeper. "Besides, your natural hair color is pink. If that's subtle, I must be a master of disguise."

"You know what—" He started to laugh. "For your information, I'm—"

"Uh, H-Haruka Tan?" The boy that was previously staring at her approached their table. The smile was wiped off of Sasuke's features.

"I'm sorry, is there something you need?" He asked icily, looking up at him. He froze in fright. Upon closer inspection, the boy was no older than 18 and lanky in build. He continued to stare at him and watched beads of sweat drip down his temple. Sakura looked to Sasuke, then back up at the boy. She smiled.

"Yes, that's me." The boy immediately relaxed, giving her a cheesy grin before a shaking hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Sakura stared at his hand.

"I-I was wondering—Well, I just wanted to know if you could—"

"Spit it out, boy." Sasuke commanded. The boy quickly unfolded his piece of paper and for a split second Sasuke's eyes widened.

"I-I wanted to know if you could autograph this for me. I'm a huge fan." The boy said while digging his hands in his pockets again. He pulled out a pen and placed it onto of the picture. Sakura bit her lip and stole a glance at Sasuke. His lips were folded together as he continued to look back and forth between the boy and the picture in front of them. To any outsider, he was playing his role perfectly. To Sakura, he was seething. She could see he was barely keeping his anger from uncapping. She sighed.

"Sure—"

"So, you just keep this picture around with you wherever you go?" He bit out. The boy rolled his eyes.

"No, of course not." Sasuke folded his arms across his chest. "I have _many_ others. I switch it up every other week." She watched his hands fist. "But I have to admit this is one of my favorites—" Sakura's reflexes moved fast as Sasuke unfolded his arms. She placed a hand on his outstretched forearm and used her other hand to pull the slightly crumpled piece of paper toward her. She picked up the pen and scribbled 'Haruka Tan' across the photo and finished the signature with a heart. The boy blushed. "This means so much to me." He grabbed the paper and held it against his chest. She held out the pen for him. "Thank-you so much." Sakura nodded and smiled as the boy grabbed the pen and quickly moved back to his booth. He slapped some bills down and left. She slowly removed her hand from his arm and waited with baited breath for him to say something. Her teeth found its way to her bottom lip again as she wavered under his gaze. His lips were set in a grim line and his expression seemed to get even more strained.

She didn't know _why_ he was mad.

She didn't want to say he had no reason to feel how he felt, but he should've assumed this would pop up sooner or later. She didn't want to say anything, to tell the truth, because any words that came out of her mouth would be nothing above a whisper. She didn't bother trying to find her voice either. She would rather wait until Sasuke fully expressed the reason why he felt the way that he did, and maybe then she could find her voice, along with a suitable answer that wouldn't get her yelled at.

"So you're telling me…" Her heart clenched as he finally spoke, his words spoken through gritted teeth. "Horny men _all_ over the world have continuous access to _various_ pictures of your tits and pussy?" He wasn't at all loud, and nothing on his face would indicate to anyone else if they were watching them that he was yelling. Yet his words made her jump slightly, and still continued to echo throughout her ears. Her mouth opened in surprise, and then with furrowed eyebrows it shut again. She blinked, opening her mouth once again but failed to find the right words.

What was she supposed to say to that?

He was treating her as if she were a real prostitute, as if she took nude pictures for fun. Like the whole 'Haruka Tan' alias was her idea and her idea alone. It was a _mission_ for Kami's sake. An Anbu mission at that! Did he want her to turn it down and not complete her sponsorship? Did he think she had a choice? Did Sasuke _honestly_ believe she had a say? So her anger flared as well. Oh, it flared quickly. Unlike him, she had a justified reason to be angry. Her nails dug into the skin of her palms as her fingers formed fists. The corners of her mouth tugged downward as her eyes narrowed.

"Do you know—"

"Are you fucking serious?!" She exclaimed. She was loud. He was taken aback by her outburst but quickly recovered.

"Yeah I'm fucking serious!" He was loud right back. Her eyes filled with disbelief searched his.

"Do you _truly_ believe I had a fucking say on whether or not I wanted to pose naked? Do you really believe I could just say "No thanks" and be on my way?"

"When has it ever been a requirement?" Her eyes narrowed at his ignorance.

"Do you even hear what you're saying right now?"

"You went around—"

"_Shut-up!"_ She yelled. He was taken back yet again. "I'm Anbu, dammit!" This she said in a harsh whisper. _"There were specialty areas I had to clear." _She finished through gritted teeth. "I'm not just a regular ninja! _You _are!" She did it. She pulled the authority card with him. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "There's some things you might not understand, 'cause in Anbu, there's no such thing as a 'choice' or 'say,' you do what you're _told_ to do, and there's no ifs, ands, or buts! If you can't handle that then your ass shouldn't have requested a sponsorship!" She huffed. "I don't even know why the hell you're upset about this! You've seen me naked before—_people_ have seen me naked before. People will see me naked again. This isn't anything new." His lips formed a straight line. She knew he knew she was right, hence his silence. He wasn't going to say anything because he was fuming, and that's just who he was. "This is just you being the insecure bastard that you are. So when you regain your senses and remember that that was a _mission,_ that this is just a _mission,_ find me." And with that, she scooted out the booth and stomped angrily through the restaurant, ignoring the various stares and whispers, and pushed through the doors back onto the street.

The _bastard._

It felt good to be outside of that restaurant, away from the suffocating air, and the stares, and the intensity of her and Sasuke's argument. Oh, so what they were in public. Of course that was the worst place they could've argued, especially since the details of their argument didn't exactly pertain to the lives of Sai and Haruka, but again, _so what? _Sasuke was being a bastard again, a selfish, insecure bastard. She's told him about their mission. He _knew_ she was prostitute, he _knew_ she was a stripper. And all Sasuke sees are strippers! What stripper did he know dressed modestly? Or dressed at all? Honestly! He could be so overbearing, she thought to herself, stomping throughout the village aimlessly. The breeze hit her again and she crossed her arms.

Her anger and her stomping was making her tired. It was Sasuke's fault. She could've stayed in bed this morning, sleeping off a horrible night she barely remembered. She would go back and lie down, but then again, she didn't even know her way around the village, let alone the way back to the hotel from the stupid restaurant located in what looked like the bowels of Yugakure. This made her even angrier, if that was possible, because now she was stuck wandering aimlessly throughout unknown territory. And what of Sasuke? She doubted that he would leave his breakfast untouched. But after that? If he went back to the hotel and she wasn't there, well…he'd be fine for a couple of hours she supposed, assuming she was blowing off her anger and that she would find her way back. But Sakura didn't even know where she was going, let alone the hotel name. She had only an image to go off of, and that wouldn't help one bit. So when Sasuke went to look for her and found she wasn't with Yuuki, he'd panic and call Naruto. And then Naruto would have to use his Sage mode to find her, which could or could not blow their cover, who knows? She didn't. And then to make matters worse, she remembered Yuuki was supposed to come and pick her up and have Terumi take her shopping, but how could he do that when Sakura wasn't even at the hotel? Then Yuuki would think that she was blowing him off, damaging their building relationship, and setting the mission back. When another breeze chilled her body, she realized she was so fed up with _everything,_ with her aimless walking, and Sasuke, and just _everything,_ that she stopped paying attention to trying to weave through the throng of villagers mulling about, and instead focused on kicking every pebble that came in contact with the wrath of her foot. She tried to multitask the weaving with the kicking, although she didn't expect someone to cut the corner so sharply, someone who paid just about as much attention to their conversation as Sakura was to her new pebble kicking game, which she might add, had the pebbles going a pretty considerable distance—anyway, she was so fed up with the horrible start to her day—

"The lineup would have to change, you know, to accommodate—"

"Eeek!" She exclaimed. She was in the middle of launching a pebble toward some unlucky village-goer's eyeball, one leg high up in the air as she watched the pebble soar higher than intended, _way_ higher ('_too much air'_ she thought to herself), and while she was balancing on one leg admiring her accidental handiwork, someone so caught up in their conversation cut the corner from her right. Now her right leg, just showing how much Kami favored her, happened to be the leg that she was left balancing on. Now the bastard who was trying to bank to her left clearly miscalculated where Sakura was going and tried to move beside her instead of past her, which again, because of her good luck, happened to be her balancing leg. _'Damn those broad shoulders'_ Her last thought as her last leg slipped up on her. She felt both of her feet off of the ground for a moment, expecting a quick and painful landing on her ass, which she quickly braced herself for. She briefly thought about the injury to her pelvis and how every fall afterward had been that much worse. She would probably tear up at the pain but she didn't think it would be the mind-numbing, excruciating pain she was use to when it came to her pelvis. She didn't know where she could find ice, but she knew it would be somewhere nearby, hot ass village—

She immediately pursed her lips, noticing that it was Yuuki who almost caused her a world of pain, and also Yuuki who had his arm around her waist, literally saving her ass. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus on Yuuki hovering above her. She wished she had the energy to produce a smile, but her fed up-ness still lingered. She sighed and placed a hand over her forehead, noticing Yuuki's furrowed eyebrows and worried expression.

"Are you alright, Haruka?" Yuuki asked, propping her to an upright angle, allowing her to stand on her own two feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to be a little more aware of where I'm going." He chuckled.

"And where your pebbles are going, too." She blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah," She said with a sheepish smile.

"Haruka!" Terumi appeared and Sakura smiled at the woman.

"Hey," Sakura turned and nodded at the taller blonde. Terumi beamed at her.

"We'd thought you skipped out on shopping today because the receptionist remembered seeing you leaving with Sai-san already." She raised an eyebrow at the honorific added to his name. "But I'm so glad you could make it. I just know you're going to love it here!" The blond rambled on about the idea of shopping with the same excitement another blond she knew would. Actually, now that she thought about it, the resemblance between Terumi and Ino was kind of unnerving_._ They were both busty blondes with blue eyes who loved shopping and had a peculiar taste in clothing, hence, the lack thereof Terumi was sporting right now. She just hoped Ino wasn't a stripper as well, although that would explain _a lot._ "Are you ready?" Sakura blinked, jumping out of her thoughts.

"Sure," She shrugged.

"Come on girls!" Terumi called with a wave. They finally stepped forward, their whispers being hushed as one of them moved closer to Sakura.

"Are you _the_ Haruka Tan?" Sakura smiled sheepishly, rubbing her shoulder.

"I don't know, I'm not really sure which Haruka Tan you're looking for…" The girl eyed her. If Sakura didn't have the experience that she did, the menacing glare from her black, cat-like eyes might've scared her.

"Asami." Yuuki called. She never took her eyes off of Sakura.

"_What."_ She spat.

"Real deal." He finished. The last thing Sakura remembers is the girl's eyes widening like saucers before Sakura was stumbling back, her breathing constricted by the arms tightly wrapped around her, and the brown curly hair tickling her nostrils. After what Sakura counted as 20 seconds, Asami pulled back. Sakura took this chance to breathe.

"I can't believe it's you! Here! In Yugakure!"

"Yes, in the flesh." Sakura smiled again.

"I can't believe—" Asami started again, but frowned once she realized she had already said this. "What are you doing here?" Sakura shrugged.

"In between moves, I guess." She brightened.

"How long will you be here?"

"I don't know, Sai told me a month—"

"Sasaki Sai? Sai-san's here too?!" Her frown returned as Sasuke's honorific reappeared. The girl rambled on but Sakura got pretty lost. She forgot how Sasuke wasn't really a part of her last mission, and mostly no one would know that he was her "boyfriend." Explaining her surprise at a mega-millionaire CEO being in a village that's lost its former glory. Asami continued to rant about how great Yugakure was, something probably straight from Yuuki's mouth, and the amazing stripper opportunities, also from Yuuki, she assumed. Even though Sakura never saw stripping as an opportunity, but anyway. Then Sakura heard some snippets about how beautiful she was—she blushed at this—and that she's seen her tapes. At this point she was tempted to ask "sex tapes or dancing tapes?" But she didn't have the energy to interrupt her. When she heard the words "amazing dancer," Sakura was relieved. Although knowing this village, they've probably seen the sex tapes, too. Which she's heard were pretty good. She'd felt like patting herself on the back but she remembered that her gesture should be extended to her Shishou, who of course wouldn't get anything but the best porn stars to act for Sakura.

"Asami, _please._ That's enough." Yuuki begged. "The other girls would like a chance too." He waved them over as Asami pouted. "And please, only handshakes for the rest of you." He finished with a playful smile. She watched three other girls materialize from behind Yuuki. "Haruka, this is Fumiko, Hana, and Kiyomi." As they came forward, Sakura noticed immediately how she lacked in comparison. Height and bust-wise at least. These girls were amazons, and the heels they chose to wear didn't make it any better. They all looked the same type of beautiful, more or less. She's found a pattern with Yuuki, at least. Busty, beautifully exotic amazons. The only immediate difference Sakura noticed was the hair color. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, because Yuuki was ushering her along.

"I'm sorry about my girls. They're…excitable." Sakura shrugged.

"It wasn't a problem." And it wasn't. Sakura didn't really know the effects of her three month mission in Snow. Of course she knew she built a name for herself, and by her standards she thought herself to be a pretty decent dancer. Although she never thought to use the words "amazing" and "graceful" if you could even use those words with pole dancing. She scoffed to herself. She also never thought about the press and publicity she would receive from those shots, or the tapes, or even the devastation from the incident with the Ambassador and her disappearance. Her alias wasn't killed off, but she never thought she would need to use it ever again. To see that she was pretty famous, especially to be a stripper, and that people wanted her autograph, even if it was a horny 18 year old boy it was somebody, and it was pretty overwhelming.

The five amazons chattered away in front of Yuuki and Sakura, the latest gossip and fashion trends leaving their lips as they walked.

"So," Yuuki interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "Do you like it here?" He finished unsurely, gauging her reaction.

"It's been a day and a half, but sure." She laughed. "Mei showed me around a little and we did lunch. But she told me there was a lot that she wanted to show me that wasn't a part of the traveler's itinerary."

"Maybe after you agree to dance for me on Saturday you two could hang out." He said smoothly. She smiled.

"That was so slick of you." He shrugged.

"You said it yourself. I'm straightforward." He turned his attention from the path in front of him to her gaze. "Remember, I'll do anything for something I want." His voice was low, suggesting a double meaning. She blinked.

"Or someone," She added.

"Or someone." He repeated. "By the way, how well did you fare with your drink last night?" She rolled her eyes.

"Horrible, you called it." She groaned.

"Told you," He said, laughing. "What happened?"

"I passed out and threw up. Again." He shook his head.

"I'm definitely walking you in next time."

"We'll see," She hummed, folding her hands behind her back as she looked onward. "So, where are these oh so exclusive boutiques?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call them boutiques," He answered with a smile. She frowned.

"Then what are they?"

"Exclusive," He added, the knowing smile still on his face. She challenged him.

"Not really." He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh?" She shrugged.

"Well, I'll be shopping there right? Not so exclusive." He frowned.

"Only if you dance for me…" He said slowly.

"Wrong again. I'm going shopping right now aren't I?" She said smugly. He pursed his lips.

"Because you're planning to dance for me." She wagged a finger at him.

"Or, I'm planning to use you to get to your "boutique," and still not dance for you." She winked at him. His mouth opened in mock surprise, then it closed, a smirk on his lips.

"Misses Tan, I _assure_ you. After seeing my "boutique" you might want to reconsider the duration of your visit." He finished smugly, pointing up ahead to a large, brick building surrounded by a strip of other large, brick buildings. They looked pretty rundown from the outside. But once Yuuki opened the large steel door, her train of thought did a complete 180. Along with a few flips and turns.

"Oh," She breathed in pleasure.

"Oh indeed." Yuuki said, satisfied with her reaction as he stood behind her. There were clothes all around her. All of them weren't even trampy, she noticed from her first inspection. There were some pretty decent clothes in the bunch. Perfect to accommodate her.

"Kami," She breathed again, looking up to see two more floors above her, filled with various stores held off by glass railing. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Welcome to my exclusive boutiques." He whispered low in her ear, his lips brushing against her cheek. "Go crazy."

* * *

><p>"You know, I'd be a lot more satisfied if I could actually purchase the clothes I liked." She pouted.<p>

"Yeah, well our agreement still holds. You dance for me, you shop. Until then…enjoy the view from the windows." He chuckled. "Besides, I wouldn't want to take any chances, what with you planning to shop and run away." She frowned, turning away from him.

"It was a joke..." She muttered underneath her breath. "You being mean isn't pushing anything in your favor, Yuuki. I thought you needed me." He stopped and turned to looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"No." Her heart clenched. _Shit. _"I don't _need_ you. You see, I could get any woman in this village to dance for me if I needed them. That wouldn't be a problem, and of course it would save me a lot more trouble." She bit her bottom lip. "But I _want_ you. And I'd do anything to get you." He looked away from a shocked Sakura and continued walking. She scurried to catch up with him.

"Why did you call it a boutique in the first place? That is _definitely _not a boutique." She grumbled once she fell back in step with him. He shrugged.

"Dramatic effect." She frowned. He pursed his lips in thought. "If you don't mind me asking, Haruka," He waited for her to look up at him. "You and Sai-san, are you alright?" Her lips formed a grim line.

"That's a good question." She whispered. The muscles in her face clenched as she thought back to this morning.

"When I came back to the lounge he was returning as well. When I left, he was still there. I meant to ask you earlier if he made it back alright." _No wonder Sasuke's dreams were so vivid,_ She thought. It had to have been a long time that Sasuke spent at the lounge if the owner left before him. She briefly wondered how many girls he was with…that made her even more upset. "And the receptionist told us you left with him this morning, and I found you alone, upsetting every rock and pebble that dared to be in your path." He finished with a chuckle. She sighed.

"We're not." He blinked.

"I'm sorry?" She pressed her lips together.

"Alright, that is." She ran the rude comments he made on her mission requirements the night before, and the even ruder comments he made this morning over and over again.

"Oh…" He started hesitantly. "I'm so—"

"Don't be. We'll be fine. We always are." She whispered, reassuring him with a small smile. She crossed her arms as another breeze came. He stopped again.

"This is you, right?" She turned and looked where he was pointing.

"Oh, right." She smiled and scratched the back of her head. "Still new here. I only know my way from the lounge." She reasoned. He smiled.

"Perfect. That makes it easier for you to make the trip tonight. Around 8." She pursed her lips in amusement.

"Slick." She said.

"Straight-forward," He corrected, pointing a finger at her. She rolled her eyes. They approached the glass doors and she stopped in front of them just as the doorman pulled them open. She turned around and faced him.

"You really don't have to walk me up, you know."

"I know,"

"And I'm not drunk." She pointed out.

"Clearly."

"I can—"

"Haruka, I don't take no for an answer. Go." She sighed and turned around. She walked across the carpet she got a little too familiar with the previous night. Yuuki greeted the receptionist, also the same woman from last night. Her greeting was sweet until her eyes fell on Sakura. They stopped in front of the elevator as Yuuki pressed the button. The doors immediately opened and they stepped inside. Yuuki's finger hesitated.

"13?"

"13." He pressed the button and the doors closed.

"I'm glad you're sure this time." She punched his arm playfully. It wasn't long before the doors were opening again. Sakura stepped out and took a few steps until she was in front of her door, Yuuki right behind her. Too close, actually. She knocked. Yuuki bent low to her ear. "I would _really _like it if you danced for me, Haruka." His voice was deep and his words were slow. She felt his breath fan against her cheek as he dragged out her name. She opened her mouth to say something just as the door opened. Yuuki straightened. Sasuke greeted him with a cold look. His expression didn't change when he looked down at her.

"Haru, I've been looking everywhere for you." He said in a voice that made her really doubt that he was. She pushed past him into the room and turned around.

"I'll see you tonight, Yuuki." She called out, her arms folded across her chest. He smiled.

"Of course." Sasuke stood at the door.

"Don't hold your breath." He bit out before shutting it. "Where the hell did you go?" He questioned her. She walked through the doors that separated the bedroom from the living room. He followed her.

"None of your damn business." She spat.

"Are you serious?" He said with narrowed eyes, crossing his arms.

"Are you?" He frowned.

"Sakura—" She whipped around and faced him, her eyes narrowed.

"Don't you say anything to me." She growled, pointing a finger at him. "What you suggested last night and this morning was insulting and downright disrespectful. You can't throw mission requirements back in my face like that, like I have control over them. You can't try and use them against me. Despite what you're suggesting, Sasuke, I'm not a whore! I'm a _ninja._" She threw him a menacing glare. He scoffed.

"So you have no problem with your ass naked pictures all over the world? How many people in Konoha have pictures of your ass plastered against their walls?" She threw her hands in the air.

"Now you're just acting fucking stupid." He was in front of her in a second.

"Do _not_ go there, Sakura." She quickly pushed him out of her proximity.

"Then stop acting like a third-rate, wet behind the ears genin! Shishou _controls _the media, Sasuke! Do you honestly believe she'd let that run here? So a ninja of the hidden leaf would be associated with a stripper and have my cover blown? Haruka Tan doesn't _exist_ in Konoha! Neither do any of the aliases created by the many ninja who have to go undercover." She pursed her lips. "You think I would actually solicit my body like this if I had a choice? You think that I would subject myself to face the prospect of humiliation and degradation _every single time _I walked outside of my home? That hurts, Sasuke." She placed her hands on her hips and turned. She blinked her glossy eyes and pressed her lips together. "Is that what I am to you?" She whispered. "I'm just a whore, right? I was _your_ whore, Sasuke. Wasn't I?" She was escalating quickly. "It explains a lot. Especially why you got so mad at _my_ body being over the world when _I _was the one who signed up for it. I'm your property, Sasuke? I'm your _bitch—_" He roughly grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Dammit, Sakura!" She jerked free and slapped her hand across his face. He recovered, only for her to slap him again. She stared at him, her eyes filled with surprise and anger.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He reached for her again. "Don't fucking touch me." He sighed, his face still twisted in anger. "Get out, Sasuke!" He continued to stare at her. She pointed at the door. "I said get the hell out!" He held his hands up in surrender before turning around and walking through the door. He slammed them shut.

"You bastard!" She called out after him, her chest rising and falling frantically. Her hand flew to her mouth as tears pricked her eyes. She collapsed down onto the bed. "You _bastard."_

* * *

><p>His finger danced around the edge of his glass as he sat staring blankly through the window across the room. He raised an eyebrow when he heard the knob to the bedroom door turn. She'd been in there for hours, anyway. He'd been waiting for hours.<p>

Sakura burst through the doors wearing a black halter dress that was secured around her neck with a knot and left her back open. The dress was loose and rippled when she walked. It was short, as usual, and her black pumps were high, still usual. Sasuke rose, downing the rest of his wine before placing his glass down with a soft 'clang.' He himself wore a dark gray dress shirt and slacks. He smoothed his shirt into his belted pants and followed her out of the door.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" She broke the silence. He closed the door behind them and moved quickly to the elevator because he knew she had no intention of waiting for him. He put a foot through the door and it reversed. He walked through.

"To the lounge, of course." He leaned over her and pressed the lobby button. Sakura's body was tense with anger, her lips pursed tightly and her nostrils flared, her hands holding still to her sides.

"Hm." The elevator door opened and Sakura moved through it quickly. "I don't think so." The sound of her heels were muffled by the carpet.

"Haruka, wait." Sasuke called, moving quickly to catch up with her after flashing the receptionist a smile, to which he saw a faint blush flash across her features, before jogging out of the door.

"Go back to the room, Sasuke." She said, her strut not missing any steps. "I can do the job by myself tonight." He frowned.

"And you know I'd be all for that, except for the fact that we're partners on this mission—" She suddenly stopped.

"No, not partners." She bit out, still not facing him. "Partners don't belittle each other or make disrespectful comments. Partners work together and trust one another." She whipped around. "So _no_, Sasuke. We're not _partners, _merely two people on a mission working individually toward a common objective. You do whatever you have to do to get there, and I'll do the same." She finished, her voice in a low growl. "I have a partner. _I don't need you._" She spat coldly. "So stay the hell out of my way." She turned back around and continued on her way. She felt a hand latch on to her wrist and she immediately tried to snatch it away.

"Don't touch me!" He held on tightly. The anger in her eyes matched his. He was getting fed up with her. It was taking everything in him to keep a lid on his temper.

"Look." He said through gritted teeth. "You don't like me, fine. But we _will_ work together. And you _will_ listen to me. Your personal feelings don't change the fact that I'm lead on this mission, Sakura." She tried in vain to snatch her wrist away again.

"What makes you lead on this mission? Your undercover experience? Your familiarity with this world? Your "ass naked pictures" on everyone's walls?" She said sharply. "This isn't the ninja world, Sasuke. We're fighting against strippers and CEOs, not S-class criminals. Until you know the difference between a G-string and a thong, I'll call the shots on this mission. I have no idea what made you think you were lead, but—" He tugged on her wrist and pulled her to him, the swell of her breast brushing against his dress shirt as her chest rose and fell in surprise.

"Until you learn how to keep your emotions and personal feelings in check like Anbu was _supposed_ to teach you—" He paused slightly as the venom from his words sunk in. "I'll run lead. And I think waiting until you have direct orders from the Hokage to lead this mission, _like I do,_ will also be a good idea. Are we clear, Sakura?" He finished in a cold, non-negotiable voice. She continued to blink in shock. "Now," He started, his voice fresh and relieved of anger. He moved his grip and locked his fingers with hers. He continued walking and forced her to do the same. He shifted slightly and whispered in her ear. "We're going to go in that lounge tonight, as a couple, as lovers, _as partners_—" He stressed. "And we're going to do what we have to do to reach that common objective." He finished, his voice with a hint of cheeriness. "I'll force you if I have to, but it'll go much smoother with your cooperation, Sakura-chan." Her lip quivered for a second before she bit down on it. They walked in silence for a few minutes as she pondered the familiarity of his tone. A tone that she's heard plenty of times before. The tone that put her in her place almost always, that made Sasuke alpha, that made her scared to argue or even oppose him after hearing it.

"I shouldn't be fazed, right?" Her voice was barely above a whisper when she decided to break the silence. "I mean, I've gone through two years of this—two years of _you._ I still made it out. And it's been worse," She looked up at him and waited for a response. He looked on, taking in the change of atmosphere as more people crowded around them. The night-life oriented village seemed to have gotten livelier in the blink of an eye. When Sakura figured he wasn't going to answer, she turned away from him. They were approaching the lounge. "So, I shouldn't be fazed, right?"

Sasuke didn't say anything as he held open the door for her. They moved through the throng of flailing bodies toward the tables near the back. Sasuke mechanically pulled out the bar stool and waited for Sakura to situate herself atop it before he pushed it in. He then sat down. Sakura tapped her manicured digits across the table. It wasn't long before she felt calloused fingers snake up her thigh. In one fluid movement she crossed her legs and turned from the table. She gave him a look out of the corner of her eyes.

"Haruka! And just when I thought you weren't going to make it." Her expression completely changed and a smile lit up her features as Yuuki came up beside her. "I thought my lungs were going to give out." He joked. Sakura shared his smile.

"Yeah, well, you still look a little blue." Sasuke quipped, a fake smile on his features. She threw him another look before turning back to Yuuki.

"Is Mei here? I'd really like to see her." He nodded.

"Mei's in her dressing room. She sent me to find you." Sakura lit up and Yuuki proceeded to help her down from her stool. Sasuke folded his hands underneath his chin and narrowed his eyes. Yuuki stopped. Sakura narrowed her eyes in challenge.

"I'd like to see her, Yuuki." Sakura said again through forced tones, her eyes never leaving Sasuke's. Yuuki switched his gaze from Sakura back to Sasuke.

"I can call someone to escort you there, Haruka." She pressed her lips together tightly and exhaled in a quick burst through her nose as Yuuki spoke to someone through an ear piece. She glanced back at Sasuke with narrowed eyes. He smirked. A burly man in a black suit appeared almost immediately. Yuuki nodded at her.

She huffed again before following the man past the tables in the back to a door that led to a hallway. This was no ordinary established strip club. It was clearly larger than it let on. She would never have guessed such a long back hallway existed from the outside. They went through another door labeled for the dancer's dressing rooms. The first door they came upon had "Mei" printed across it in block letters. The man in the suit rapped on the door twice.

"Come in," They heard from inside. He twisted the knob and held open the door for Sakura. She stepped inside the large room and immediately looked up. She wasn't surprised to see a reflection looking back at her. The sultry velvet red walls didn't surprise her either, or the large Victorian four-post bed in the middle of the room. Across from her was another large mirror with lights, and beside her an armoire. Upon closer inspection, Mei sat with her feet upon a chest on the edge of her bed. She was cloaked in a short silver robe and heels. She was mulling over papers and didn't look up when she came in.

"Misses Miyazaki?" The man said.

"Hm?" She continued to look at her papers. He cleared his throat.

"You have a visitor." She looked reluctant to avert her eyes but she did.

"Haruka!" She dropped her papers back on the bed and dashed for Sakura, enveloping her in a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it." She looked past Sakura. "Thank you, Hiro." He nodded and pulled the door closed. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." She walked back toward the bed and grabbed her papers.

"What are you looking at?" She asked as Mei organized them.

"Clients. This is my rotation for the night. At least for those who have paid already." She held out the papers for Sakura. "Here."

"This is…thorough." _And illegal._ She thought with widened eyes as she shuffled through her clients. The profiles of these men resembled a bingo book profile, detailing the name, age, and a picture of the man. But it went so much farther in terms of personal info, their known tendencies, and pertinent medical information including past and cleared reproductive diseases. A whole man's life was fit onto one sheet of paper, subject to any dancer's whim. "Is this legal?" Mei laughed.

"When you sign up as a client, you're releasing your records. Most men don't know this because they don't read, they just sign and pay. But this covers us in case a dancer refuses a client in the event that she doesn't want to catch something." She pointed to the papers in Sakura's hands. "A dancer has the full right to change the status of a client based on what's in their profile. For example, if a man has been treated for gonorrhea in the past, a dancer can refuse him sex, or refuse to see him at all. A refund will be issued of course, but they don't get their deposit back." Sakura handed her the papers. "When they sign up, they're also signing away to a list of rules and guidelines. Most of the stuff is common sense jargon. I'm sure I can bother you with the details later?" Sakura shrugged. Mei smiled back. "Worth a try." Sakura shifted.

"That's 12 men you got in your hands." Mei nodded. "How do you get through those when you have to dance?" She shrugged.

"The Kansai is very time oriented. It's a time for everything. Literally. During the day, it's a restaurant and bar, in the afternoon it becomes a place where press conferences are held, celebrity meet-and-greets—the whole media practically takes over. That's when you see the most cameras. Then at night, it's a club. This place comes alive." She outstretched her arms. "There's dancing, and drinks, and happy people—" She stopped, the smile still on her face. "Then at 9:30 the dancers come out. Each set doesn't last longer than 10 minutes. After a set you take care of your clients. After those you take care of the casual men. Regardless, of the time slots, you still might be here till 3." _Under 10 minutes…_ Her sets in Snow were at least 15 minutes. But then again, this lounge was a different type of business.

"Much different from my strip club." Sakura whispered.

"Yuuki wants to make this safe for all girls." Mei said quietly, locking eyes with Sakura. "Anyway, enough of that stuff. I want you to enjoy yourself." She took a hold of Sakura's arm and dragged her in front of her armoire. _"So,_ you can have the honors of picking out my outfit for tonight!"

* * *

><p>"The money comes from all places, you see. I have my girls that dance and take care of clients and casuals, then I have my girls who don't dance and take care of the casuals. And then I have my girls who are strictly clients." Sasuke nodded, raising his glass of rice wine to his lips.<p>

"Well, the money's there." Was his only comment. Yuuki waited, expecting more from him, but when he saw that Sasuke was too engrossed in his rice wine to say anymore, he picked up his glass as well. Sasuke watched him brighten and he turned around. His eyes narrowed.

"How was it?" Yuuki asked.

"Your dressing rooms are really nice. Roomy." She finished. His features lit up at her compliment.

"Thank-you. I put a lot of work into those rooms to make it more comfortable for the girls." She nodded.

"I can see that." Sasuke cleared his throat. She ignored him. "Mei asked me to help her pick an outfit for the night." He raised his eyebrows.

"Is that right?" She nodded as he frowned, clearly looking distressed.

"She never lets me anywhere near her closet." Sakura chuckled.

"With all due respect, Yuuki, I have reason to believe she values my fashion sense over yours." He pursed his lips.

"Oh really?"

"Clearly." She challenged him with a smile. "I—"

"Haruka." Sasuke interrupted. Yuuki looked over at him with raised eyebrows. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Sakura. Her lips tightened before she took a seat in one of the bar stools at their small table. Sasuke continued obliviously as he brought the glass to his lips again. Sakura stared onward as the upbeat music quieted and the stage brightened.

"When's the last time you watched someone dance, Haruka?" Yuuki whispered in her ear as the bass from the new music shook the lounge and illuminated her senses.

"Never." She whispered back.

"What?" He said, taken aback. She turned to him.

"Never. I don't watch other dancers. I just dance." Sasuke turned toward them with raised eyebrows. "I want to keep myself pure. Well, as pure as you can be doing what I do." Yuuki nodded in understanding.

"When was the last time—?"

"I felt like this?" She outstretched her arms and closed her eyes as the music vibrated through her. "The last time I danced. Right before—"

"Haruka!" Sasuke whispered harshly. She turned back and faced forward.

"I've stayed away from them because…" She pressed her lips together, looking forward. "Dancing got me raped." She said finally, her voice strained. "So I'm scared. I'm scared to dance. Being here reminds me of what I just can't do." The fast-paced music slowed down as she heard the cat-calls and whistles escalate. Then she watched as Mei threw the black fringed tube top that Sakura picked out into the audience. The men went wild as the music kicked up and Mei started dancing again, her chest jumping with every movement she made. She finally sauntered off of the stage and into the throng of men. Sakura pointed a finger to the stage as she looked at him. "If I choose to get on that stage…" She dropped her hand and closed her eyes. "What if I get off that platform and the same thing happens? I can't—"

"I won't let anything happen to you, Haruka. I promise." Yuuki interrupted her, his words so stern and sincere. She got over her initial shock and smiled, tapping a finger to her temple and held it up.

Sasuke was the one who noticed her first. At least a part of her. Sakura's nostrils flared in anger as Mei approached their table topless.

"Mei? What are you doing here?" Yuuki asked. She looked flustered, a thin layer of sweat was coated on her skin and parts of her long black hair stuck to it. Sakura noticed Hiro behind her, standing a little ways away keeping the men back.

"I didn't know if I would see Haruka again tonight. And I have a lot of clients to get through so don't wait up, Yuuki." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm waiting." He said decisively. She turned her attention back to Sakura.

"I want you to come with me tomorrow." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where are we—" She shook her head.

"Just come with me, okay?" Sakura hummed and nodded.

"Sure." Mei nodded back in affirmation.

"I'll come by in the afternoon." She took a step in the direction of the table and planted a quick kiss on Yuuki's lips. "I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later, Sai-san." She bowed before going back into the crowd, immediately followed by noises of appreciation. Sakura glanced in Sasuke's direction as he watched Mei's retreating back. Her lips pressed together tightly. He must've felt her gaze because he turned around.

"We need to talk," She mouthed. He shook his head. She fumed. Then she changed immediately, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Kami…" She breathed. Yuuki turned away from the current dancer and looked at Sakura.

"Haruka?" He questioned, concern apparent in his voice. She looked at Sasuke from the corner of her eyes. Anger was coming off of him in waves. She continued.

"I don't feel so well—"

"What's wrong?" She placed a hand over her chest.

"I'm feeling a little faint." He placed a hand on her forehead. Sasuke straightened and glared.

"You're hot. I can—" He stood.

"I'll take her back to the hotel. She hasn't had a decent night's rest since she's been here, anyway." She shook her head at Sasuke.

"I know, but I promised Yuuki that I would come tonight and I really wanted to watch the dancers—"

"We have a room in the back that she can lie down in—" He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Yuuki hesitated, throwing Sakura a look.

"It's alright." Sasuke reassured.

"Are you sure?" He pestered. Sakura gave him a nod.

"Yes, we'll see you, Yuuki." Sakura turned back around and waved as Sasuke pushed her out. He moved her against the brick exterior of the lounge. "Take off your heels." He growled at her. She crossed her arms.

"You think I can't run in heels?"

"I think you're slow in heels." Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I'm moving fast, Sakura. I don't want you tripping in those things and risking us getting seen." She stomped a foot on the ground, taking a step toward him. He pushed her back against the wall.

"_I can run in heels."_ She growled back. He grabbed her arm up forcefully before disappearing in the blink of an eye. They reappeared outside of the stairwell on their floor. Sakura proceeded to stomp to their room and Sasuke followed after her briskly, his hands fisted in his pockets. When they got to their door he nudged her aside before unlocking it. She walked in after him and slammed the door behind herself. He whipped around, his onyx eyes blazing.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? We're on a _mission._ We can't just take breaks to talk!" He yelled. She rolled her eyes.

"You knew what you were doing. We didn't _have_ to take a "break" in the mission. You didn't want to talk to me, fine. I was going to continue on with the target and get some intel—"

"Intel? Oh really?" He scoffed before placing his hands on his hips.

"Yes, _intel._ That's what this mission requires me to do. I might have to use my lips, my breasts, hell, even my ass to get intel. But I'm going to continue doing what I have to do." He raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"By using chakra to heat your body up? Risking us getting caught by your carelessness for a few minutes alone with Yuuki?" He accused. "The two of you aren't even on that level yet and you're trying to rush things along—"

"How would you know that, Sasuke? How could you possibly know what "level" we're on? Yuuki is _my_ target. If I want to try and rush things along, I will. It's _my_ call—"

"Sakura, I am _lead—_"

"Lead my ass! You're jealous!" He jerked his head back.

"Jealous? Sakura, _believe_ me—"

"So why did you run us home, huh?" She challenged. "For one, we could've _walked._ You're bright idea just as well could've ruined our mission had someone seen us disappear." She crossed her arms again. "So there's the act of you running us home, and then there's the reason behind it. Yuuki was going to take me to some room and have me lie down, but he wouldn't leave me alone, no, _of course not._ So like I said, you're jealous. You took my idea to further my relationship with my target and ran with it. _Literally._" His lips were set in a grim line as he stood glaring at her. "I'm sorry, any objections?" She moved to one of the armchairs in the living area. She sat and crossed her bare legs. "Now, let's talk." He raised his eyebrows.

"What could there possibly be to talk about?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Keep your eyes off of that woman, Sasuke. That is not your job." His mouth fell open in amusement.

"Are you serious?" He laughed. "Talk about jealousy." He didn't bother hiding his delight.

"We're on a mission, Sasuke. And we're supposed to be a couple. So all of that staying late with strippers? All of those dances after dark when you think no one's watching? All of that is getting back to me. You're ruining the reputation of our alias, and you'll ruin your setup with Yuuki if you continue letting your eyes wander over Kakashi's target. Let it—"

"So this is about me taking something of Kakashi's? Please, I want to hear more of this." He plopped down onto the couch opposite of her and laid his arms across the top of the plush surface. She's a stripper, Sakura. It doesn't matter who fucks her as long as she's getting fucked." Her eyes widened. "Now if you really want Kakashi to have her, then fine." He raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't know he had you doing his bidding, though." She leaned forward and pointed.

"That's not what this is so stop making it out to be that!" She yelled. "We all have roles! You know that!"

"Well, as a ninja, Sakura, I think you know roles get reversed more often than not." She slammed her fists against the arms of her chair.

"Unbelievable coming from you! Like your role—" He pointed at her.

"Don't go there. Why do you always have to go there?"

"You bring me there! You're making this mission _hard _for me, Sasuke—!"

"_Really? Me?_ You're out here—"

"Doing _what?!_ What have I done other than my mission?"

"Picking a fight with me! You want to start there?" Her head jerked back.

"How about we start with the disrespect that brought me there—" He rolled his eyes and she glowered. "Are you serious?" He shook his head.

"You overreacted. You caused a scene and stormed out of a restaurant for nothing." He mumbled. She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? You sat in my face and spat on the very thing you couldn't live without."

"And what's that?"

"Porn." She stated plainly as he leaned back against the couch.

"Hm. Touché."

"You entertain your little whores, and then you have the audacity to try and treat the target like one too!" He sighed heavily, placing his chin in his hand.

"The mission, in the plainest terms possible, is to fuck her to get her away from Yuuki, right? Now it shouldn't really matter who does the job. Between me and Kakashi, the old man is a little dried up, wouldn't you agree? I'd—" She shot up.

"You bastard! You can't even keep it in your pants!" He smirked.

"Well, _baby,_ you have to give me a chance to pull it out first."

"You wouldn't dare." He stood, walking closer to her.

"I'm waiting on you, aren't I? I've _always_ been waiting on you. Or would you rather get your feet wet with Yuuki first? Either way, I won't wait forever. And I damn sure am _not_ waiting by myself." Sakura's anger boiled to the top and finally uncapped. She swung her fist from behind her and had it aimed for his face. He was there of course, his hand already over her fist as he overpowered her.

"What—" Her vision flashed behind her eyelids before being completely obstructed by the spinning of Sasuke's tomoe seals. She lurched forward as a sharp pain vibrated throughout her body. "What did you do to me?" She fell to her knees.

"I sealed off your chakra." Her eyes widened as weak arms desperately tried to hold her up.

"You—" She breathed. "You used your Sharingan on me? Why would you—" She continued on incredulously, her voice high pitched. "How could you?"

"You can't use your chakra on this mission, Sakura. Not even your strength. You could've gotten yourself caught tonight." Her chest continued to rise and fall heavily as she tried to gain control of her body.

"That's no excuse for what you did…Why?" He stood over her. He _knew_ she hated that.

"Can you remember how much chakra you just gathered in your fist? No?" He didn't wait for her answer. "That's probably because you were too blinded by your anger." He paused. "You could've broken my cheekbone, or cracked my skull, just depending on where your fist would've connected. So I'm sorry if sealing your chakra was an extreme impulse when compared to _my life._" He moved past her. "You're right, Sakura. From now on, we're merely two people on a mission working toward a common objective. Tell the targets what you want. But this whole "couple" thing, won't work. So I'm out. I'll be sure to tell Lady Hokage come morning of my failure to carry out my part of the mission. You can go run back to the partner that you've missed so much. Good luck trying to run lead with him." Then she heard the door shut softly.

Sakura continued to breathe in short bursts. She was trying to force the chakra to flow throughout her body, but it was like trying to move water through stone. All of her chakra channels were sealed shut. She tried to think of what made him react like this. She tried desperately to isolate just what exactly caused him to abandon the mission, maybe even compromise it. She quickly and continuously came to the conclusion that it was her, no matter what way it was framed. Sasuke wasn't one to flaunt his emotions around. It was a lucky day if you got him to wholeheartedly crack a smile. He'll express his feelings, if necessary, and only then if it was extreme. But she's brought him to this point so many times within the past two days because of their disputes. It was a reach even getting him to argue with her. The fact that he stayed this long was a miracle of its own kind. So he bailed. And she can't say she blamed him. Sakura brought him to a point that he never went willingly. His emotional responses were different than everyone else's, in the way that he tends not to care. And even if he did, he refused to show it. Maybe it was because of his newly profound duty to the Village or his undying loyalty to her Shishou that he chose to stick it out this long.

She commended him of course.

The foreign feelings that she caused to invade and erupt from him by soliciting an argument lasted two whole days. He never lasted this long during their real relationship. He fought his tendencies and put up with Sakura, even going head to head with her in a yelling match. But sooner or later the stress that he could take would be used up, and she knew that there wasn't a lot he could take in the first place.

Sasuke didn't push things out or talk things through when it came to people. Even getting him to talk was hard enough. He was a quitter, and a settler. He would go, and he would run. Like he always did. Like he always would. And so he did. But just for the record, in case anyone wants to remember the point it all went wrong and why this mission was such a failure, she would remind them all that Haruno Sakura was behind its compromise.

* * *

><p><em>There's no amount of apologies that I can give to you all for my going ghost, but I just want to thank-you so much for waiting! It's been a long hard year. I would continue to apologize profusely but I already made you all wait so long, I don't want to waste anymore of your time. The next chapter is already in the works so it'll be out of the oven a lot faster than this one. Thank-you so much for hanging in there and sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed! <em>

_-Keoo19_


	22. Bound

**Bound**

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday<strong>

She sat near the pile of pillows on the bed, her shoulder pressed against the mahogany headboard as she stared blankly out of the large window letting all that light in. The light hurt. The light, she figured, was what was messing with her brain functions. It was probably the light that was causing short bursts of brain activity before her thoughts became sporadic and jumbled again. Her hand flew to her mouth, chipping away at the polish and her nails. She stopped, looking down at her fingers. A few of her nails were torn off, leaving behind jagged edges and remnants of her blood still in her cuticles. Her hand was wrapped. Why? Her fingers went to her mouth again. Someone would usually be scolding her about how unsanitary that is. She was about to rack her mind for who, but her thoughts seemed to have exploded, leaving with a sharp pain that had her closing her eyes tightly. She blinked them open again. The heaviness of her eyes made it hard to open them fully, and also sensitive to light. The light hurt. She tried to remember what made her eyes like this but that thought was gone faster than it came. The sharp pain came again. She gnawed away at another piece of her nail. She was tired, but she continued to sit there as she has been. That's all she knew how to do at the moment, and she felt security in that. She wasn't going to let go of it.

A throbbing pain came back to her, but it wasn't coming from her head. She isolated it to her nose. Her nose hurt badly. Her ribs were sore too. Her body wasn't making the pain go away, like it usually would. Why was that? Her thoughts disappeared again. Her face felt taut and dry…She remembered someone came around to clean off the makeup. It was Naruto. Where was he now?

She had a headache that threatened to split her head in two. It pulsed at the base of her skull. She's never had a headache this powerful. Her hand flew back to her mouth. Was her headache hindering her brain activity? No, her headaches have never been that severe. She closed her eyes and tried to focus as her thoughts jumped around.

Where was Naruto right now? Wasn't he with Kakashi? She missed Kakashi. She missed his company. Something happened last night. There was an incident. She couldn't remember what happened, but she was at the hotel now. It took them an hour to get there, but the hotel was only ten minutes away…Why did her head hurt? Her body wasn't helping her right now. She willed it to numb the pain but nothing worked. 3:00 AM. That was the last time she remembers seeing. But it was dark then. That can't be the time now because it's bright out. Hence the painful light shining directly on her. She heard the faint signs of morning. It _was_ morning. Where was Kakashi? How long had she been sitting here? She couldn't think about any one thought for long. Her brain would give out before making a connection. Then the process would start over, marked by more pain. She felt pain now. Why couldn't she think? She was always a great thinker. Kakashi said so. Where was Kakashi? What happened last night? There was an incident. It's morning. It wasn't then. Naruto was here. He's nowhere to be found now. Her brain and her nose seemed to be broken. Her ribs hurt. She looked at her hand. Her nails were a mess and her hand was wrapped. Her body wasn't responding to her. 3:00 AM.

What _happened?_

There was more pain. She tried to gather her information again.

Naruto was nowhere to be found. She needed Kakashi. Her brain and her nose were broken. Her body wasn't responding to her. There was an incident. It was morning. 3:00 AM.

_Again._ She willed herself, before her thoughts scrambled.

Naruto was nowhere to be found. She needed Kakashi. Her brain and nose were broken. There was an incident. 3:00 AM.

She gritted her teeth as the pulsing at the base of her skull intensified. _Again._

Naruto was nowhere to be found. She needed Kakashi. There was an incident. 3:00 AM.

_Once more. _

She needed Kakashi. There was an incident. 3:00 AM.

She exhaled shakily as she lost herself again; white circles flashed behind her eyes and a faint beeping sound was heard in her ears while her headache returned to its steady pulse. She heard the door to the bedroom open, and despite the pain, her head swiveled around to meet whoever came through. She wanted answers. However impaired she was at the moment, she wasn't stupid. Her scrambled mind kept returning her to one thought.

"I need Kakashi. There was an incident at 3:00 AM." She spat out fast before she lost it. Naruto's eyes met her determined ones. He came forward and pulled her legs onto the bed.

"You need to lie down, Sakura." She shook her head as her weak body tried in vain to restrain against his much stronger hands.

"There was an incident at 3:00 AM. I need Kakashi." She said again. He smoothed her hair back.

"No, you have a severe concussion, Sakura. You need to lie down." That's why her brain wasn't working. What else was broken? She closed her eyes and searched her thoughts. "My nose is broken." She opened her eyes and waited for him to confirm it. He nodded. "It's morning." He nodded once again before quickly moving to close the curtains. "My body isn't responding to me." He sighed, sitting back down on the bed.

"Well, Sasuke did seal off your chakra. Any efforts of you trying to heal yourself would be futile." He shook his head. "Right when it mattered the most, the bastard." She frowned, bits and pieces from the other night tried to resurface. But not last night. She tried to remember 3:00 AM.

"There was an incident at 3:00 AM." Naruto didn't confirm or deny this, but instead looked away from her. "Naruto, I need to know." She pleaded. She needed all the information she could get to figure out why she was like this. She placed a hand on his arm. "Please." He turned back to her helpless eyes.

"Yeah. There was an incident at 3:00 AM."

* * *

><p><strong>Friday<strong>

"Misses Miyazaki," The receptionist greeted with familiarity as she approached the desk. "How may I help you this morning?" Mei folded her hands behind her back.

"I'm visiting."

"Guest name?"

"Tan." She typed something on the computer and frowned.

"Well, you're not on the list." She leaned forward on the counter and smiled sweetly.

"Can you just call up? She's expecting me." The woman looked at her unsurely for a moment before pushing buttons into a machine.

"_Hello?"_ Mei blinked at the hastiness of her voice as it came through the receiver.

"Misses Tan?" She confirmed.

"_Yes, this is her."_ Sakura replied impatiently.

"You have a visitor—"

"_Who?"_

"Misses Miyazaki." She said finally.

"_Oh, send her up!"_ And then line was disconnected.

"Floor 13, room 44A." Mei nodded her thanks. Hiro pressed the button for the elevator and waited for it to come down before ushering her in. They rode in silence until the 13th 'ping' sounded, indicating their stop. Hiro stepped out first and quickly looked around before nodding back at Mei. She stepped out of the elevator and started examining room numbers as Hiro followed a few steps behind.

"There it is." Hiro rapped on the door twice and stepped aside.

"Mei!" The door opened swiftly as Mei's eyebrows raised. "Good morning!"

Was she sure…?

* * *

><p>Sakura stepped out of the shower and pulled a towel off of the rack before securing it around herself. She stepped in front of the full length mirror and leaned forward.<p>

"I thought for sure the shower would take care of these…" She whispered to herself, pulling on the skin beneath her eyes. They were dark of course, what with her not sleeping and all. Oh, and the crying must've made it worst as well…She sighed and walked out of the bathroom. Kneeling in front of her open suitcases, she searched for some clean underwear and a top. The comfort of cotton panties weren't allowed on this trip, a normalcy missed dearly as she dropped the towel and stepped into a lace pair. She pulled a fitted t-shirt over her damp hair.

Her limbs felt like lead and made every movement taxing. With her chakra points sealed off, all of her chakra was stationary in its channels with nowhere to go. Even her stored chakra, transformed into an array of flowers for the mission, was static. She felt like a dam waiting to burst. Was this even healthy? Sasuke was going to kill her on accident…or purpose…What was his intentions anyway? All he had to do was stop her fist, which he did with ease, and tell her how much force she put into it, and that she might've killed him. What was he trying to do, teach her a lesson? She wasn't 12. And if she didn't know what stationary chakra could do in one's body, then Sasuke damn sure didn't know. When you seal someone's chakra, you either plan to permanently impair them or kill them. The thought of being permanently impaired had her shuddering. She was 23! She had a life to live! Not to mention a storm was coming. And the thought that she wouldn't be able to fight…She banished the thought from her mind. Sasuke may have sealed her chakra, but he didn't do it out of anger. He was rarely blinded by it. So of course he would know what he was doing and the repercussions. She exhaled. Thinking about it hurt, especially when she didn't know what could result from it. All she really knew right now was that he used his eyes against her and left. And she didn't like that one bit.

If only her medical prowess included more information on the Sharingan. While she might have the same strength as her Shishou, Sakura's medical knowledge pales in comparison. It still exceeds her by many years. She would kill to have the kind of information she had, more specifically, information on unsealing your chakra channels done by the Sharingan's infamous eye technique. There's only one Sharingan user left and Sakura is almost positive the Hokage has learned all that she could from Sasuke without removing his eyes entirely. It would be much easier for Sakura to just ask the Sharingan user himself instead of wishing for all of that knowledge, but then she knew there was no way he would willingly undo the deed he'd personally done, and even so, he was probably halfway to Konoha by now. She showed her bottom lip no mercy.

Crying was useless. There was nothing she could do about his leaving because she pushed him there. And then there was going to be the earful that Sakura would hear upon her return, but a month should soften the blow right? Unless Sasuke pulling himself from the mission would provoke Tsunade to eject Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi too…If it took her less than a day to come to that conclusion, Sasuke must've thought about the repercussion his leave would cause the second he shut that door. She closed her eyes, smoothing her hair up into a bun.

To think he would _actually _leave—The phone on the bedside nightstand started to ring. She was inwardly thankful for the interruption. She crawled on the bed and quickly grabbed the receiver.

"Hello?" She blurted out.

"_Misses Tan?"_ The receptionist from the front desk asked. Sakura drummed her fingers across her thigh.

"Yes, this is her." The exasperation not hidden in her voice.

"_You have a visitor—"_

"Who?" She interrupted quickly. Who could be visiting her? Naruto and Kakashi? Maybe they got word before her about their ejection from the mission. According to Sasuke, she seems to be the last person on the leader scale, especially when it comes to information. But how would—

"Misses Miyazaki." The woman finished with an exasperated sigh of her own.

"Oh, send her up!" Sakura tried not to sound too relieved as she put the receiver back on its hook. She placed a hand over her bangs and huffed. Mei's appearance could just be a delay in the inevitable visit from her teammates. And still, why was Mei so early? Sakura glanced at the clock. It read 10:00 AM, a few hours short of the afternoon. She set the receiver down. What was she supposed to tell Mei?

_You can tell the targets whatever you want. _

The story she built with Sasuke didn't prepare for a breakup. It made their relationship strong. And while Sakura spent all night crying like she was thrown three years in the past, she could've been thinking of a way to prove that she could continue this mission _without_ Sasuke. And now she only had a minute—

She heard a knock on her door. _Damn those elevators._ She thought as she moved out of the bedroom and to the door.

"Mei!" Sakura exclaimed. "Good morning!" She smiled with all the cheeriness she could muster, holding the door open for the skeptical woman to enter. She closed the door behind her. Mei looked Sakura up and down. "Would you like some wine?" Mei's eyebrows raised.

"You're having wine?" Sakura waved her away.

"Kami, no. Alcohol doesn't favor me much." She moved to the counter in the kitchen and leaned against it. "I'm sorry I'm so underdressed, you said afternoon, so—" She paused and looked up.

"Are you alright?" Mei asked unsurely as Sakura moved quickly to the door and opened it.

"Would you like some wine?" She asked Hiro.

"I think it's a bit early for wine, Haruka." Mei said with a laugh. Sakura shrugged.

"Everyone has something to drink to, right?" Sakura left the door open and gestured Hiro in before moving to the coffeemaker in their mini kitchen and pouring herself a mug of its contents. She brought the mug to her lips and sighed as the soothing drink made its way down her throat. She paused, forgetting herself. She placed her mug down and reached into the mini fridge, pulling out a bottle. "So, wine?" She asked again, uncorking the top over the sink.

"Haruka…" She grabbed two glasses from the counter opposite the sink and filled them with the red wine. She walked over to the living area and handed one to Mei, and then back to the door where Hiro stood. He shook his head.

"Oh come on," She pestered with a sweet smile. Turning to Mei, she gestured back to him with her thumb. "Does he drink?" She shook her head. Sakura turned back to Hiro. "You have to have _something_ to drink to." She outstretched the hand with the glass in it. He looked at the drink unsurely before taking it from her hands. She smiled before going back to the counter. She propped herself atop it before grabbing her forgotten mug and held it up. "To happy endings and new beginnings." She said cheerily, almost sarcastically. Mei discarded her drink on the glass table beside her and quickly moved to Sakura's side.

"Haruka, what's wrong?" Sakura dangled her bare legs from atop the kitchen counter. She shrugged, taking another sip of her tea. Sakura needed Mei to give her a lead. Without it, without that push, she had nothing. There would be nothing left but a little time to pack her bags before she was shipped back to Konoha, Sasuke laughing in her face the whole time. The _last _thing she wanted to do was give him the satisfaction of saying he was right and showing him she was incompetent and unable to complete the simple Chunin-level task of gathering information. But she was damn good at her job and certainly good enough to force a confession. Wasn't she? She sighed.

"Happy endings, you know? My abrupt departure from Snow—not because of the people, of course. You know how delightful the people are." She said with a roll of her eyes. "Sai whisks me away and we're moving from town to town while he fixes and invests and fixes and invests—" She exaggerates with the movement of her hands. "Then we finally decide to get out of the Land of Water because the whole damn country is painful. My rape was broadcasted everywhere, and I mean _everywhere._ We get on the next ferry out of there and end up in Fire Country. We're laying low in Otafuku Gai for a few months when Sai hears about the famed Kansai lounge. 'It's so popular, it just needs a little push' he says. And you know what? I'm that push. But Sai doesn't want me anywhere near another man. He doesn't want me dancing. So we come here for our "new beginning." She said sarcastically with air quotes. "He sees the lounge and he's absolutely fascinated with it." Mei's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Are you kidding? He wouldn't stop talking about the place." Mei blinked.

"The way Yuuki's been talking about it, it seemed like Sai had no plans to invest." Sakura shook her head.

"Sai may not show it, but he's extremely interested." Mei looked visibly relieved. "His money can go into this place, and he can do whatever he wants to try and bring more people in. But one fact remains." Mei closed her eyes at this.

"He can't do this without you." Sakura nodded slowly.

"And he thinks he can. 'I can fix this' he says. I want to help this place, too. But I can't dance, I can't get up on that stage but I'll be damned if I don't try. So we argue of course, like we've been doing for a while. I didn't want to come here. I didn't want to be around this environment in the first place because I knew I would want to do something I'm not supposed to ever do again. And that's dance." She said with a resigned sigh. "But Sai doesn't need me. He doesn't need me to dance. He doesn't need me to sacrifice my security. He doesn't need me on that stage shaking my ass at the mercy of every man in this Village _just_ to return the Kansai to its former glory. He doesn't need me _destroying_ myself again. But I was dancing long before Sai popped up into my life. I was doing fine before he came with his 'knight in shining armor' act." Sakura said with frustration. Then she sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. "So he leaves, like everyone else does. He leaves." Mei pressed a hand on her thigh.

"Oh, honey…" Sakura sipped the tea from her mug. Then she put it down with another sigh and shook her head.

"It's okay. I'm used to it." Mei's eyes softened. "I would expect this from Hatashi, But Sai? He never runs away."

"Hatashi—"

"Is a coward and is gone from my life. He runs at the littlest sign of distress and just disappears from everyone. He wasn't there when I needed him and he'll never be there." Sakura said coldly. "You think someone's going to be different and they're not. You think someone's going to be there forever and they're not. People like Sai…they never go for people like us." Mei's eyes widened. "Those are two different worlds trying to come together. They clash almost automatically. It's not sad, Mei, it's life. And I'm used to it. This time, the blow back just took a little while longer." She watched Mei with baited breath and waited. Mei blinked a bit, as if mulling over her thoughts. Maybe a confession? But just like that the look was gone, and instead it was replaced with one of sadness for Sakura. She contained her frustration and smiled. "Enough about me." She jumped down from the counter. "Why are you here so early?" Mei sighed.

"It's a surprise. In the light of recent events a pretty bad one if you ask me." She muttered. Sakura moved to the bedroom and pulled a pair of denim shorts from her suitcase.

"Eh, I need to get out of this hotel anyway." She called out as she slid into her flip-flops. Exiting the bedroom, she walked over to Mei and linked arms with her. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Here, put these on." Mei had sunglasses shoved toward Sakura in one hand, and in the other a hand full of bills that she was slapping down on the counter.<p>

"But people have seen me already," Sakura said, putting them on anyway. Mei dragged her away from the stand and back into the crowd.

"I know you've heard about the many copycats we have in this Village." Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, so I'm just another copycat." Mei shrugged, linking her arm back through Sakura's.

"Not really. Your eyes are a dead giveaway. People can copy the hair, but different colored contacts are just a luxury we don't have in this Village. And to import them by themselves would be a great deal of money. I guess getting the full Haruka Tan look is an extreme for some people, if not a bit expensive."

"I would've never have guessed I was so popular in this…Village…" Sakura trailed off as they passed the restaurant she and Sasuke visited the day before.

"A lot of girls here admire you. You're like a role model…" Sakura zoned out as she remembered that restaurant being in the bowls of Yugakure. They've already been walking for quite a while, not to mention stopping for breakfast. Killing time was probably a part of Mei's plan because they've managed to make it to the afternoon. She just wondered where the hell she was taking her.

"Just where are we going, anyway?" Sakura, speaking her thoughts out loud, interrupted Mei. She just smiled.

"You'll find out soon enough." She certainly hoped this surprise wouldn't have her walking back by herself. She definitely did not know her way. To think she'd remember by now…

They walked into what looked like the middle class housing district. They took a turn and Sakura became skeptical as Mei opened an old crickety gate that led to a walkway. She stopped.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked once again. Mei smiled as she backed down the stone path.

"You sure don't seem to be fond of surprises." Mei called as she turned and walked up the steps. She dug in her jeans and pulled out a key. _Did she live here?_ Sakura walked through the gate and closed it behind her, dusting rust off of her hands. If Mei lived there, that would say a lot about her and Yuuki's relationship. Sasuke was right. She scoffed. _No surprise there. _She wasn't on any kind of level with Yuuki to get any information about _anything._ She was practically lost and blind at this point. What she thought was his flirting could easily be his version of gentlemanliness. He told her himself he would do anything to get her as a dancer for his lounge. Be it harmless flirting or a few smooth words—everyone knows how resilient Sakura is to _those—_Yuuki was avidly following through with his vow. Sakura had no leads to the brutality toward Mei claimed by her father. To be precise, Sakura had no leads on anyone. No information, no background, nothing. Maybe if she had a lead, she could convince her Shishou to let her, Naruto, and Kakashi continue on with the mission despite tattletale Sasuke's abrupt departure. She secretly hoped this house would explain at least a little bit of why she was in Yugakure. Maybe Mei stayed in this house to get away from Yuuki when his anger got uncontrollable…

She hopped up the steps and through the door left open for her. She cautiously walked through the long hallway. Sakura hasn't been in this Village for long, but she could at least tell that Yuuki didn't seem like the type to get angry. He looked like no one ever told him no, based on his constant urging toward Sakura. But he was a bit of a push over, seeing how only a look from Sasuke got him to stop in his tracks. Or maybe it was just Sasuke. His look _was—_

"Haruka, I'd like you to meet my mother, Hatsumi." Sakura stopped upon entering the small living room and raised the sunglasses from her face. She took stock of Mei's mother. She looked to be her Shishou's age—well, if her Shishou's age was actually the age she was portraying, then sure, she'd put the both of them at a matched even. Her hair was a dark brown with streaks of gray that betrayed her face which still held a semblance of her youth. It fell a little past her shoulders in a razor cut. Sakura found Mei took after her mother rather than her father; her round cheeks and heart-shaped face coming straight from Hatsumi. Wrinkles formed under her mother's closed eyes as she smiled at Sakura. When they opened again, Sakura saw those striking light blue eyes.

"Hello, Haruka." Hatsumi's voice was deep and soothing, something that reminded her a lot of the motherly tone Kurenai held. "I've really been looking forward to meeting you." She smiled again. "From what I've heard, you take after me so much it'd be a shame not to." Sakura's eyebrows raised as she subtly scanned the rest of Hatsumi. Her cleavage spilled out of her light blue kimono top. Under further inspection, Sakura found her slender body couldn't possibly house breasts that large naturally—and the taut twins seemed to be a bit too perky for breasts of that size. Sakura's breasts weren't large at all so she couldn't be talking about cup size…_I take after her?_ She blinked a few times before her eyes widened in realization. Forget about a little bit—if this didn't explain why she was in this Village she didn't know what would.

"My mother used to be a stripper." Mei confirmed sheepishly, standing above Hatsumi behind the floral printed couch.

"Ah."

Lead. Check.

* * *

><p>"Let me ask you a question, Haruka."<p>

"Anything, Hatsumi-san." Hatsumi set her mug down on the coffee table between them.

"Do you believe true love exists?" Sakura's eyebrows knitted together as various thoughts ran through her head. She and Neji were "together" for a little over six months, and she never told him she loved him, mostly because of Sasuke, but he said it. Love wasn't really a part of the terms and conditions of their fling. Yet that's was what it was, right? For a time she thought about a future with Neji. But then that ended. After that was Sasuke. She supposed since she "loved" him all her life, whether or not they were in it wasn't necessarily questioned. And then Ren. She was prepared to change her last name for someone who was virtually hated by every man in her life…what truly constituted as true love? She frowned before opening her mouth to answer.

"I—"

"If you had to think about it, sweetheart, then I know that somewhere deep in you, you believe that it doesn't." Hatsumi answered for her, a sympathetic smile on her face. Sakura pursed her lips and tried to get back on track.

"Hatsumi-san, what did you mean when you said that I take after you?" Her eyebrows lowered in thought.

"Well, Mei told me about the real Haruka Tan, the one underneath all of those cameras and tabloids." She sighed. "Like you, I didn't do what I did for fun, you know. Or to defy my father." She looked up at Mei with pursed lips, who just rolled her eyes. Sakura made a mental note. "I did it because I had to. I had no family and no way to make ends meet. I needed money quick and that was the quickest way to get it. But I didn't want to lose myself. I wanted to still be a _person—_well, you know how men view us. So at night, I changed my hair color," —She nodded to Sakura's own hair— "I got myself a stage name, and became a different person in its entirety. I didn't want Hatsumi to be associated with a stripper _at all._ And it worked perfectly. Until—"

"You fell in love." Sakura added. Mei snorted and walked out of the room. Her mother watched her retreating form and sighed.

"I didn't mean for it to happen—people like us rarely do. And Mei hates her father for it." Sakura always assumed that Mei and her father had a close relationship, seeing that he hired outside help to save his daughter. Or even because she worked so closely under him. This was a new perspective, on top of her previous realization. If Mei's mother was a stripper, then that explained why she didn't want her daughter marrying someone like Yuuki. Hell, Sakura even used an explanation like that in her backstory. But still, it was the Daimyo who called for them. The way Hatsumi's story was leaning, she and Mei's father were already separated. However, they clearly had the same opinion of Yuuki. She opened her mouth to ask a question but Hatsumi continued. "If you didn't know already, her father is the Daimyo of this respectful Village." She said sarcastically. "He wasn't then, though, he was a diplomat representing this land. So he traveled a lot. But like every other man in this Village, he favored the strip clubs when he was here, and more specifically _my_ strip club. And somehow, he favored the girl with the fake breasts who got on that stage simply to make a few thousand for rent and food. I did what I had to do for the night, I gave my boss his cut, and I went back to the hole in the wall apartment I called home."

"Yet…" She sighed again, this one more nostalgic.

"Yet he still got me. Smooth talkers." She snorted. Sakura recalled painfully her experience with one. "But at the time, I think I was just confused. I was _naïve._ I thought maybe if he got to know the real Hatsumi, he could love me for who I was and forget about what I do. I wish that I knew he just wanted someone he could easily go back and forth to for sex." Hatsumi shrugged as Sakura winced. "He said those three magic words. I'll never know if he meant it or not. No sooner than our "relationship" started, it ended abruptly when I found out I was pregnant with Mei. Now it's way worse than it sounds," She said with a laugh and raised hands. "Real ugly. Near abortion, nasty fights, threatened exposure—it got to the point where I was prepared to blackmail Masaji with my baby to get him to stay. And I realized how dumb I was when he said 'A slut's word against mine.'" Sakura bit down on her lip as the venom of her words sunk in. "And then he's gone to some other Village, some other strip club, probably fucking a girl just like me. Someone stupid, someone naïve. Someone who believes in true love when it just. Doesn't. Exist." Her words struck Sakura deeply. "8 months later he's back. He's there doing the same shit he did to get me. Still being the naïve woman I was, I gave out a second chance. Stupid right? Thinking that he would want me despite all of those things he's said. Thinking that he's _changed._ So I give birth, he names her, and he's gone again. It wasn't as ugly as the first time, at least." She picked up her mug and sipped, her lips puckering once she found it was cold. She placed it back on the coffee table with a frown. "The next time he's back, he's Daimyo. With the Daimyo's word being the strongest in the land, who's going to tell him that he can't have a child out of wedlock? Nobody. So he fights me for my baby. And who wins against the Daimyo? Nobody." She pressed her lips together as wrinkles adorned her face. "If I didn't have the law on my side, I would've never even known my own daughter." Sakura blinked.

"What law?"

"There still had to be some ordinance of rules since it wasn't a total dictatorship. He couldn't just take my baby that _I _harbored alone for 9 months and _I_ spent 6 hours in labor for and fully evoke my parental rights with no cause at all. But what he did do was take full guardianship over her." Sakura exhaled.

"That's just…so…" She was at a loss for words. It was easy to understand why her mother didn't want her with Yuuki.

"Mei told me about you and Sasaki-san. Tell me," Sakura frowned as the thoughts of his departure and the premonition of their ejection from the mission came flooding back to her. "Do you love him, Haruka?" Her frown ran deeper. Well, did she? She's thought this through over and over again. What exactly did she tell Kakashi was loving someone? Looking past the bad things, fixing what's wrong, blah, blah, _blah._ Did she truly believe that? Did she really think she could look past all the shit Sasuke's put her through? Rejection, absence, heartbreak, his superiority complex, the degrading comments, did she mention heartbreak? Sasuke's not going to change. It doesn't matter how much older he gets, or how much he matures, or how much more he learns about the inner workings of the other sex. Okay, so he's evolved. But he was still that brooding, self-gratifying bastard that he always has been. Could she still love him? After everything? Hatsumi called herself a fool for being naïve. Even after all the things Mei's father did to her, she still gave him a second chance. Despite everything he said, she forgave him. She couldn't speak for the Daimyo, but she could for Sasuke. He rarely said things out of pure anger. Everything was meticulously thought through, even despite the speed in which he reacted. So his words, everything he's ever said to her was done to purposely hurt her. To cause an adverse reaction.

She hated that she had to continue to brand him a sadist, but even still…

Sakura knew what she signed up for when Sasuke came back. Despite the fact that she wasn't as willing at first, she knew that she would be dealing with a broken, out of sorts boy with a few mental disorders under his belt. The three of them were all he had, so turning her back on him after practically the whole Village already had would be wrong. But calling it quits after his psyche evaluation results came back would've been appropriate, but also very low. Knowing what he's been through, she could understand his distress at not being reinstated as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf after the recovery of his leg. She could even understand his rampage in her Shishou's office...and her violent response afterward. But Sakura, not knowing the depth of what he went through only caused her to understand more of why he was the way that he was. She could understand Inoichi's qualms about letting the boy continue his Shinobi career in Konoha at all. So of course pills were suggested to combat the disorders he suffered from. But they seemed to help. Because of that, he had her respectfully request that he be taken off of them because of his progress. Does she regret her decision? All the time. She could still see that sick Sasuke from time to time—actually very often. She sees him in the way he acts, his mood swings...Sakura knew what she was signing up for. And somewhere deep inside of her, she knew that he wasn't going to change—that he _couldn't_ change. That some of the things he did was inadvertently and also something he couldn't help. It hurt, but she knew. And one thing that she could not run out of was forgiveness in her heart for Sasuke. Time after time he's tested her, and the both of them knew Sakura couldn't lose him again. Sasuke was supposed to be sitting on her porch with her once she got old and gray right? Well, once she got a porch. If what she told Kakashi constituted as true love, then she had it for Sasuke. She had it bad. And it wasn't the fluttery type of love she had when she was 12. It went deeper than that. Beyond that. She closed her eyes and exhaled.

"Yes." Hatsumi's lips pursed as she eyed Sakura. "But he left." Her eyebrows raised at this.

"Oh?" Sakura nodded.

"He doesn't want to see me destroy myself again. I.e., get raped." Sakura said. It seemed that men weren't really high on the list of people respected by Hatsumi and her words wouldn't help one bit. She clicked her tongue.

"Well, it's my understanding that if you love something, you cherish it. You don't leave, you don't make up excuses, you don't cheat, you fight through whatever shit you got into with that person because that's what you signed up for. You sell your soul when you say those three words. Some people just don't get that." Sakura frowned. Sasuke's put her through all of the above without thinking twice. All of the men that she's been with has. Alright, so Sakura's perspective of what true love _actually _was has been skewed by the bastards that have come into her life. So what exactly was it? And if she didn't know what it was, how exactly could she believe in it? "What happens when you mix fire with water?" Hatsumi asked, breaking the silence.

"Something dies…" Sakura answered slowly.

"Right. Something dies. Be it love, a soul, or a heart. Something. _Dies._" She finished firmly. "When Masaji and I clashed, something was bound to die. It just turned out to be my heart." She shook her head sadly. "Mei never heeds my warnings, but I want to save somebody. Nothing good ever comes out of foolish things like love." She said sternly, her features schooled. "Sure, you can get momentary things like sex and maybe even kids. But that can come from anyone. Or am I wrong?" She grabbed her mug and stood, walking into her small kitchen. She dumped its contents into the sink and poured herself a new mug. "You're a smart girl. Don't indulge in a stupid thing like 'love.' Especially when it doesn't exist. All you're doing is throwing yourself to a pack of wolves. You either eat, or you get eaten. Don't get eaten, Haruka. Always stay one step ahead of them. Women are naturally smarter than men. We can manipulate them to get anything we want. We damn sure don't need a label or a title to get it." She said with a scoff. "If you leave yourself vulnerable, men will take advantage of that, and when they do, they're only going to hurt you. There will be lust and attraction but that'll grow old fast. They're going to leave, and once they do, they'll find someone else to 'love.'" She sipped from her mug. "Save yourself, Haruka."

"Are you done, mom?" Hatsumi placed her mug on the counter.

"Yes, dear." Mei appeared in the living room again. "She hates this talk." She said behind her hand. Mei rolled her eyes.

"That and everything else pertaining to my father." Sakura nodded slowly. _Don't indulge in a stupid thing like 'love.' Especially when it doesn't exist. _

"I hope you don't think I'm some crotchety, cold, old woman, Haruka." Hatsumi said with a laugh. Sakura forced a smile.

"Not at all, Hatsumi-san." Mei appeared at her side and pulled her to her feet.

"You two won't be staying for lunch?" Her mother asked with a frown.

"No, sorry, we still have a lot of things to get to today." Hatsumi sighed.

"Well, alright." Sakura was pulled to the door. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Haruka."

"You too," She whispered as she was pulled out the door. She heard Mei yell a quick goodbye before the door was shut and she was dragged back through the gate.

"Are you okay?" Mei asked as she closed it. Sakura swallowed and blinked.

"Yeah…your mother's quite the realist." Mei snorted.

"Try pessimist." Sakura noticed they veered off of the road.

"Where are we going?" Mei pointed up ahead.

"The park. We need to talk, because I'm sure you have many questions." Sakura scoffed.

"If you only knew." She muttered underneath her breath.

"Here's a great spot." They sat in the shade of a large tree. Sakura immediately kicked off her flip-flops and plunged her toes into the soil. She enjoyed the little piece of herself that would never change, no matter how much she did. She leaned back on her hands. "It's relaxing, isn't it? Feeling like you're connected to everything." Sakura nodded as she closed her eyes. She missed her chakra. She missed her connection to everything. Things felt a little off since Sasuke sealed her chakra, like she was missing one of her senses. And her body felt heavy, as if she was hauling around extra weight. Was this how civilians felt all the time? Earth was the last connection she had. "I should apologize for my mother. Like I said, she's a pessimist." Sakura opened her eyes.

"I can understand where she's coming from." Mei shook her head.

"You mean her bias? Sure, she has a reason to hate my father, but not men all over. There's definitely no reason to stop believing in love." The breeze tousled the wisps of hair not tied up in a bun on Sakura's head, and Mei's own hair flew back. She wasn't wearing a bra again...Sakura inwardly groaned. After another long moment, Mei sighed, as if finally letting something go. "I know you're planning on dancing for the Kansai. If not, you're thinking about it pretty deeply. And I feel like there should be no secrets between you and I, even since there are some between me and Yuuki. This might affect your decision, but I'd rather your opinion of me change now, then you become a dancer and learn later on." Sakura narrowed her eyes. Secrets?

"What do you mean?" Mei pressed her lips together.

"I'm not like you, Haruka. I don't do what I do because of a desperate need to dance. I don't do what I do because I need the money either. My father's the Goddamn Daimyo." The breeze came again, causing Mei's hair to smack her in the face. She tossed it off of her shoulders. "I do what I do to _spite_ him. You saw what he did to my mother. It doesn't stop—It's _never_ stopped. My father…he's a cruel man. He's heartless. And apparently there was some unspoken law that forces me to live with him." She said with narrowed eyes. "When I was 18, my mother bore all. The horrible man that my father is became the devil in my eyes. And I confront him about it, and he starts yelling and screaming and demeaning _my mother?_ The only person who's showed me love all my life and you call her a conniving bitch because _you_ couldn't keep it in your damn pants and _you_ weren't man enough to be a father _just_ because your mistress was a stripper?!" Her voice elevated as she became flushed with anger. "And he continues to bring home women—who knows how many of his bastard children are out there? And he calls _me_ a slut because I'm my mother's child." She said through gritted teeth. "So I go and I become my mother's child. I'm the daughter of the Daimyo. Who doesn't want that type of publicity at their lounge? I brought in men, political standing means nothing there. And then," She started chuckling to herself. "And then word gets around that the Daimyo raised a stripper. This makes him, eh, less than happy. And we fight. But I don't stop what I'm doing. As long as he's miserable, I'm satisfied. But what I didn't expect was for a self-established millionaire to snatch me up and pitch business ideas to me." She shook her head at the thought. "Do you see Yuuki? Do you see _me_? I couldn't turn that opportunity down no matter how unrealistic it seemed." Sakura frowned. "We were business partners at first, but that would never work because I'm a "stripper" and he's a CEO. Then the sex worked for a long while, but I knew the love would never work because of all the women he had at his disposal. But then it did…is." She sighed, turning the ring on her finger. "And he proposes and it's all so unrealistic…especially the night afterward when my father kidnaps me and sticks me on a boat to somewhere in Fire Country."

Sakura's eyes widened. That explains why she was on their ferry. And also why she was so excited to see Yuuki their first night there. Who knows how long they were apart?

"My father even tries giving me—excuse me, forces me to take this job doing tours around this Village so I can stop dancing, but I'm in too deep now. There is no one that can stop me from dancing at the Kansai except for Yuuki himself. If he wasn't making so much money for the Village, my father would probably kidnap him and send him off to some foreign country too. He doesn't think Yuuki and I are actually in love because of who Yuuki is and what he has, and what I'm portraying to be. And my mother…well you know my mother and men. Especially prominent men with money." She ran her fingers through her long black hair as her eyes closed and she exhaled. Her expression was stressed. When she opened her light blue eyes, Sakura saw the sincerity in them. "Of course I was using Yuuki at first, but that's not what it turned out to be. To think the one thing that my parents would agree on would be this…" She scoffed. "I want to get married to him, but I know that my father will do everything in his power to stop it." She paused and looked Sakura in the eyes. "Haruka, the Daimyo is a very powerful, terrifying man. The fact that his word is the strongest in the land makes everything worse. He will stop at nothing to make sure I am unhappy, and that is a very scary thought." Mei said shakily before biting down on her quivering lip. "I'm so sorry for my lies, and misleading you, and my portrayals…I can't be _you." _Sakura's head jerked back. "I can't be the girl who lost everything and everyone and still stand tall to be this, this _person, _who doesn't need anyone…A person that, despite having to resort to doing the dirtiest things just for a meal, can rise above it all and still be a person who respects herself and doesn't let the job consume her…A person who has so much heart and influence she can move _nations_ with her tragedy…A person who, after gaining _everything, _after rising from those deep trenches, can still do that thing that people would normally spit on, can still keep her integrity in spite of what she does…A person who is one of the most respected women in society _just because._ You have reasons behind you, moving forces to do what you do and here I am in your face, just _pretending._ I'm dancing at the Kansai to spite my father but also because I love Yuuki so much and to see him fail would just break my heart…" She bowed her head as tears fell from her eyes. Her hair fell around her face and shaking shoulders. Sakura's own slumped as her heart clenched painfully. _I'm going to hurt this girl…_ "I must be a fool to you, to have _everything_ and still do the very thing you did to survive, _mocking you_…My methods are unconventional, using people and mocking all the girls that are doing what I do just to make ends meet…People like you and my mother. But I have a moving force behind me too, and that's the fate of the Kansai. I need your help, Haruka…if only for a little while…if only for Yuuki…for _me._" Sakura exhaled sadly as a hand ruffled through her bangs and sat atop her head.

Things have changed so much, and the day has barely even started.

There was no way her Shishou could pull them now…not when Sakura has a lead. But now the Daimyo's actions are put into question. From his first impression she would've never have thought him to be a terrifying man who could do such a thing to his family. But that's just it, the devil has many masks…

She guessed the Daimyo was just trying to protect his daughter, using very unconventional methods. However, there seemed to be no foul play involved. She saw no signs of domestic abuse. She only saw a girl, _madly _in love with her fiancée. Yuuki is not the bad guy here. He's simply a man put in the middle of a family feud. A father and a mother desperate to stop their little girl from making the same mistakes they did. Her father, being a man like Yuuki and knowing what men with money do to strippers. Her mother, having lived the life of a stripper and knowing the trials and tribulations of it all, wants to stop her daughter from believing in something that doesn't exist and yearning for someone who will only leave and hurt her. Her mother having experienced it firsthand doesn't want her daughter to go through the same thing that she has. So her father called for outside help, knowing what strippers do to a man. Knowing that if one could get him, another could get Yuuki. So, in a way Sakura's stuck in it, too. She stuck deep. She's that stripper that's supposed to break Mei's heart and show her that all men are the same, and strippers aren't meant to find love, because it doesn't exist. But how could she? How could Sakura do such a thing when she knows that feeling so well? How could she go right along and hurt a girl who cleaves to true love when she was just that girl? Who was she to decide Mei's fate at the mercy of her two distraught parents? It was at this moment that Sakura knew she couldn't do this. She pulled Mei's shaking body closer to her own.

"No need to apologize, Mei. You and I are alike." Sakura said with a small smile as Mei looked up, her face stained with tears. There were so many warning bells and sirens, along with her duty to the Village and the oath that she took, screaming at her and pulsing behind her ears. But Sakura did what she did best. She ignored them. "You're doing something that you have to do. And I will help you." Mei hugged her tighter.

Sakura didn't know how much trouble this was going to get her in. She and Sasuke only recently had the conversation about why her judgment couldn't get blurry because that wasn't what they were sent here to do. She can't exactly be blamed for that either because the game has changed. The Daimyo has called them in under false pretenses, so he couldn't possibly be asking for his money's worth. Now she was going to go out on a limb and jump it the opposite direction of their mission objective. This was an executive decision she didn't have the right to make, because Sasuke made it absolutely clear how far down the leader scale she was. But as the person having to directly deal with the target, the call to further the mission, in whichever direction, was hers. And she's made it.

She wonders what constitutes as punishment for abandoning and totally botching their mission assignment. With all the favor she has with the elders these days, she's sure her head won't be too far from a silver platter.

* * *

><p>"It's really not much to tell…" Mei shrugged.<p>

"Anything's good." Sakura hummed as she took another bite of her food. They were at the same restaurant they visited the first day they were here, which was perfect for Sakura. The food here was absolutely delicious but she wasn't able to completely enjoy her money's worth because she wanted to be irresponsible and drink. She rolled her eyes in pleasure and swallowed. She wondered what her Shishou was doing with their aliases that made them so important. With Mei's confession earlier about the influence Haruka had, and also the constant badgering from Mei about Hatashi, she didn't doubt that her Shishou planned to use Sakura and Kakashi again down the line.

"My parents were killed in an ambush on their way home from a business trip. My father was Hatashi's idol. He would do everything my father did because he looked up to him so much. When they were killed, life…stopped." Mei watched her intently as Sakura took another bite of her food. "My brother was a robot. Our house became a mausoleum. He stopped…everything. He wouldn't talk, he would barely even look at me. I lost my brother. Don't get me wrong, he would still pick me up from school, and he never stopped taking care of me or the house. Taking care of himself, however, is something he failed to do. But after two years, a little bit after he turned 18, he just left." Mei frowned.

"Did he say anything?" Sakura nodded.

"He told me he loved me, but he couldn't stay. He told me that I would be taken care of—that everyone would take care of me. That everything would be alright. I was 10, so I believed him."

"I'm so sorry," Mei sympathized. Sakura shrugged.

"It took two years for the money to run dry. My nanny had already left a year before. I had to stop going to school so that I could work to feed myself. My house was taken a year and a half later, and then I lost my job some time after that. And I waited one more year orphaned and on the streets before I could work somewhere that would give me a place to live and help me make money fast. I did what I had to do. And my brother never once showed up. I did get a letter a little bit after my rape. From then on, I couldn't help but be a little suspicious of the Ambassador's suicide." Mei's eyes widened.

"Are you saying Hatashi could've killed him?" She exclaimed. Sakura shrugged again.

"Who knows? I thought he was dead, in all honesty. I buried the idea of him long ago. Besides, it would be just like him to get himself killed accidentally on purpose." Sakura finished with a laugh. "But that's all there is to it." Mei thought this through for a while as Sakura finished her food.

"Do you hate him?" She pushed her plate away from herself and propped her elbows up on the table, placing her chin in her hands.

"No, not at all. He was a bastard and a coward for leaving his little sister, but everyone deals with grief differently." She finished with a shrug. Mei hummed, finally looking satisfied that she got the full scoop on Kakashi's alias.

"You know," Mei spoke up. "You sounded like my mother this morning. That's why I was a little skeptical of my surprise. I didn't want you to meet her and have her harden your beliefs on men. I didn't want you to turn into her." Sakura exhaled as she thought back.

"This morning was just anger. And then I met your mom…I still believe in love. But with the right person." She spoke truthfully. "She asked if I love Sai. I thought it through, you know, after everything. And I said yes." Sakura finished with a sigh. She cupped her cheek and looked upward in thought. "I used to think love was looking past all the bad and all the flaws. That it was getting through the tough times." Mei nodded.

"Right. And that was the case with you and Sai." Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as her head jerked back, rejecting the thought.

"That's just it, Mei. I look past all the bad and all the flaws. I forgive him for all the wrong he does without hesitation, because I just feel like it's something I'm supposed to do. We don't get through tough times, we go around them and we sweep them under the rug. At least, he does. I've been through a lot because of Sai. And I just…I forgive him." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that. I feel like it's something I have to do because I don't want to lose him. I forgive, I forget, and I sweep under the rug. And we move on. Everything is still there though. The pain he's caused, the memories because of them, the scars…" She softly fingered the location of the burn through her shirt. "But we still move on. We move on because I _cannot_ lose him, Mei." Sakura said through gritted teeth as her hands formed a fist. Her feelings on the matter broke through her ruse and she exhaled. "I just can't." She shook her head grimly as tears brimmed her eyes. She looked up and bit her lip, blinking them away. "So is that love?" She turned back to Mei. "Is it? Sacrificing reality or your chance for true happiness to be stuck in a cycle of forgiving and forgetting just so that you won't lose someone? How is that love? It _can't_ be." Sakura was so sure of her ideal of love not too long ago. Now…now she wasn't. And that showed maybe she was never sure. Maybe she never knew what love was. "Love should be pure, and yeah, reckless. It'll hurt because you'll throw yourself into whatever shit for that person, just because. The pain is supposed to be fun. Something you look forward to getting through because you know you can. And after you do, everything will be alright again." She looked up in thought. "You'll crave that person's presence. Not just sexually, physically. They'll be the first person you think about when you wake up and your last thought before bed. They'll stimulate you intellectually and always make you laugh, even when you're mad. The bad things won't have to be looked past because you can fix them and _grow._ No looking past the flaws either. _Accept them._" Sakura sighed deeply as something filled her. She couldn't fix the bad things with Sasuke. She couldn't fix the fact that he was gone for seven years, that he hurt her whole team and the Village, that because of him, Naruto tried to kill himself. She couldn't fix that. She could never fix that. "I love Sai. I care for him in ways you cannot imagine and I want only the best for him. And I can't stand to see him hurt or lost. But am I in love with him?"

She pressed her lips together as she pondered the question she never had any trouble answering before. She did love Sasuke. She was spilling the truth to Mei. The 'in love' portion she told Hatsumi was just for the sake of the mission. She stashed away feelings like this so she wouldn't have to ask herself these questions. She didn't want to put herself into positions like these with Sasuke because these feelings would come back. She didn't want these feelings to come back because it always came with the pain and the arguments. This mission has pushed them together and forced all of those out. Hence his abrupt departure. She's been asking herself this question for two days now. Was she in love with him? She sighed.

"There was a time when I was content with forgiving and forgetting and sweeping under the rug. The burning passion I felt for his presence conquered and vanquished the pain of what he did. There was a time when I yearned for him to be by my side. I fought for him to be back with me at all costs. And then that time was gone…is gone. I noticed that we haven't changed, you know? Couples should evolve and grow together as the love grows. But we haven't. We're stuck in the past. It's the same love I felt for him when I was 18. The same love that makes me forgive and forget instead of deciding to fix and grow…The same love that continues to hurt me and everyone around me." She whispered. "But I love him in ways I cannot explain. I love him enough to let him go. It's better for us. To love and pull up that rug and just let _go. _That's what your mother showed me today, Mei. Not to hate men all over, but to learn from the mistakes that I've made. To grow." She thought back to Neji and his unexpected exclamation of love. He knew that if they continued to stay together, it would hurt. There would be something there that they would have to fix and grow from. But couldn't they have done that? It's not like Neji had sex with her. And clearly, TenTen was never a factor since they're _still_ not together. If she was still with Neji, then all of that stuff with Sasuke would've never happened. But he left the choice up to her, and she chose not to fix and grow. Instead, she made the stupid choice to move on with Sasuke, thus creating her eternal conundrum. She inwardly groaned. _Kami, now I'm thinking of a future with Neji. _The point was, she was going to do that now. Moving on to someone, however…

"Then love and let go, Haruka. If you feel freed by that thought, love him and let go." Mei smiled softly at her as she frowned.

Splendid that she's come to this conclusion. She's happy, really. But what the _hell_ was she supposed to do with that? She's 3 days in on a month-plus mission. If she presents her lead to her Shishou, it doesn't matter how unbearable crybaby Sasuke thinks Sakura is, she's going to force him to come back on the mission as her boyfriend. Then their close proximity would resume. Yeah, she's come to this realization, so what? In two days, maybe less, she would be all over Sasuke again, getting confused like she was yesterday morning. Especially confused on Wednesday with their restroom fiasco. The truth of the matter is, there wasn't going to be any letting go any time soon. The next time Sasuke's lips touch hers, they'll be back at square one, trying to figure out whether she was really in love with him, or if it's just his lips talking. She didn't feel 'freed' by that thought. She felt more trapped than ever. She tried to refrain from frowning any further.

"Easier said than done." She finally said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest. "So, what's on the agenda for the rest of the day?" Mei reached into her pocket and pulled out some bills.

"Well, are you up for getting your hair wet?" The frown she was holding back finally broke through as she looked up at her bangs.

Oh boy.

* * *

><p>Now, <em>this<em> was worth getting her hair wet.

She hasn't felt this relaxed in who knows how long, and the hot, therapeutic water definitely took some of the edge off of the lead-limb feeling. Not to mention having the whole bath to herself. Although, she couldn't completely shove the feeling of longing for her teammates. Especially Naruto's loud obnoxious voice. But she didn't exactly mind when Mei left.

"Do you hear that?" Mei asked, a serious expression on her face as she quickly looked around.

"Nope," Sakura replied, sinking further into the water. The ringing continued.

"It's my phone!" She exclaimed, moving quickly through the water. Sakura's eyes followed her. She stopped and turned back around. "I _have_ to take that…" She whispered to herself. Then she frowned, her inner conflictions continuing. "But I'll stay." Sakura emerged from the water far up enough for her to speak.

"No, no, take it. I'll be fine." Mei looked at her unsurely.

"Are you sure? I can really stay."

"Absolutely." Sakura said, her voice contorted by the water as she went back under.

"Alright." Mei said with a resigned sigh. She continued to the edge of the bath and placed a hand on the rock to help prop herself up. Sakura's eyes materialized as she watched Mei leave for the changing area.

"Intriguing…" She whispered. Her eyes widened before she plunged herself underneath the water.

_This_ was why Ino called her a closet lesbian. She frowned. Oh how she missed her annoying best friend.

She should be able to call her right? It's not like a call back home would compromise the mission. No one was checking her phone records, or at least she didn't think so…Either way, she just wanted to talk to her. She would like her opinion on her newfound revelation. Being Ino, she would probably call her a dumbass and tell her she should've come to that conclusion a _long_ time ago. Then Ino would ask about her mission and how scandalous it was so far, and then she would pester her about Kakashi—

She gasped. _Kakashi. _That _baka._ What was wrong with him? It's been 3 days since they've talked—not that she missed him or anything because she most definitely didn't. But he could've called and told her when the hell he was going to pop up so that she could act surprised like she was supposed to and not smack the shit out of him.

She shouldn't have a reason to, right?

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. _They were fine._ Besides, it was usually up to her whether or not they were talking, and as of now, they didn't have anything not to talk about. She sighed. She _did_ want to talk to him, though. He was an awful lot better company than Sasuke, and he was familiar with this mission. Plus he wouldn't doubt her on her ability to perform. She was proud of Kakashi's faith in her. Even back when she was just a rookie on base taking pole dancing lessons, he had her back. He _trusted_ her. Something Sasuke has never done. Not to mention Kakashi was a hell of a partner, too. She'd bet that if her Shishou set her up to work with him on this mission, they'd be home in less than a month.

But what would they be going home to?

She frowned again as her relaxation period ended abruptly with thoughts of war. War that was arguably Kakashi's fault, seeing that he—

She pouted. She was supposed to be relaxing, not stressing about a war she couldn't even fight in. She waded to the edge of the bath and placed her hands on the large stones. No use in her skin getting all pruned when she wasn't even enjoying it anymore. She put all her strength into lifting herself up. _There's that lead-limb feeling I missed so much._ She thought sarcastically. She walked toward the changing area as she wrung out her cerulean blue tresses. Once she entered the small house she moved toward where she left her bin. She paused.

"How the _hell_ am I going to get back—?"

"Have you seen—?"

"Agh!" Yuuki stared with furrowed eyebrows at a very surprised Sakura who had an arm around her chest and had her legs crossed tightly. She pressed her lips together and tightly shut her eyes. _Shit._ Good job Sakura. She silently cursed her mother for raising her with self-respect and decency. _Work with it. _"Don't you know this is the _women's_ changing area?" His eyes widened as he threw his hands up, an apology on his lips.

"I was just looking for Mei—"

"Maybe you could respect my indecency for a moment and turn around?" She replied impatiently. He complied almost immediately, swiftly turning on his heel with his face still full of embarrassment. Sakura felt the heat in her cheeks and tried to calm herself down. She figured Mei's father was right about one thing, women willingly got naked for Yuuki without hesitation. For Sakura to deny him of this was probably a surprise. That goes right along with the theory that no one tells him no. She exhaled before grabbing a clean towel from her bin and securing it around herself. "I would like to keep who I am at night separate from who I am during the day, if that's alright with you." She said snidely as she smoothed her hair into a ponytail. "You can turn around now, Yuuki." He had the sincerest look on his face. She almost felt guilty. It was her fault for fucking up, after all.

"Misses Tan, I'm so sorry." She rolled her eyes, a smile on her face as she waved him away.

"Please, not that Yuuki. It's okay. Completely understandable considering what I do. I'm just not the same person I am at night." He swallowed and nodded slowly. "Now, Mei left about half an hour ago. She said she had a call she had to take." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Call? What call? I'm right here, who could she possibly be talking to?" He thought aloud with a hint of anger. Then he sighed. "I didn't even know she had a phone." Sakura raised her eyebrows. She quickly thought of Sasuke but banished the thought from her mind. Seeing that he never listened to her, he could've went right ahead with Mei. He would probably call her on the pretenses of investing in the lounge and ask to meet with her so that he could ask questions. She shook her head, trying to keep the frown off of her face. "I wanted to see her before tonight…" He whispered to himself.

"What's happening tonight?" He looked up from the phone he pulled from his pocket, a confused look of disbelief on his face.

"It's Friday, what's _not_ happening tonight?" He dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. "Hiro." He said quickly.

"_Yes sir?"_

"Find Mei." Yuuki said through gritted teeth.

"_Yes sir."_ And the line was disconnected. Yuuki snapped the phone shut and placed it in his pockets. Sakura watched as he checked it every seven seconds. She continued to wring out her hair.

"Yuuki, I'm sure she's fine. She's probably just with her mother. Or maybe her father called her." Sakura offered, trying to reassure him. His frantic look only got worse.

"Haruka, Mei's mother is dead." Yuuki said in a tone suggesting she should've known. Sakura's pressed her lips together. Mei could've warned her that faking her mother's death was a part of the lies she told Yuuki. If only as a means to prevent awkward moments like these. "And I pray to Kami she's not with her father." Sakura frowned as he started pacing. She was getting more and more confused by the second. Did Yuuki know or didn't he? Or did the whole 'I'm not going to let you marry this man, Mei' thing get around to him? It couldn't have, because she knew Yuuki was persistent. He wouldn't just take no for an answer, even if it was her father. Although he was also the Daimyo, on the other hand, the powerful, terrifying man. And Yuuki _was_ a little soft…Anyway, she was sure he would've asked by now why he couldn't have Mei's hand in marriage. The Daimyo wouldn't hesitate to expose Mei's web of lies, if only to hurt Yuuki and cause him to leave. That would've been way easier then calling for outside help, and even managing to push the wedding back because Sakura had a mental relapse from a previous mission. Still…what was it that made Yuuki adverse to the Daimyo? She decided the only thing she could do was more digging.

"What if he needed her to escort—" He stopped, his head whipping around to face her.

"Escort?" He repeated, his voice sounding confused. Then he exhaled and gripped the bridge of his nose. "Her father's 'escort business.'" He said sarcastically with air quotes. Sakura didn't like being confused. She actually hated it. And right now it seemed like Yuuki's sole purpose was to keep her that way. "I don't believe in that bullshit. Probably all just a cover-up, anyway. Just to keep his leash on her." Sakura shook her head, trying to piece everything together.

"A cover up? Yuuki, I'm sorry, I don't see where you're going with this—" His expression became frantic again.

"Don't you understand, Haruka? Mei's father beats her!" Sakura's head jerked back as she tried once again to process all of the information.

"What?" She exhaled in shock. The Daimyo beat Mei? No, that couldn't be true…Maybe Yuuki beat her after all and was trying to pin it on the father…Why would he beat her? _Wait._ She thought grimly as she bit her lip. Yuuki's phone started ringing and he quickly put it to his ear.

"Have you found her, Hiro?" He asked impatiently.

"_Yes sir." _Yuuki sighed in relief, running a hand through his hair.

"Thank Kami…Where was she?" He asked slowly, fearful of his answer.

"_She was at her home, sir."_ Yuuki closed his eyes and cursed silently.

"Put her on the phone, will you?" He turned away from Sakura. Her eyes softened.

"_Yuuki?"_ Mei said. Yuuki turned slightly and she saw him light up once he heard her voice.

"Hey baby. Are you alright?" Sakura moved back to her bin and started gathering her clothes.

"_Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"_ He exhaled again, shaking his head.

"Alright then. I know you had plans, but those will just have to wait. I'm going to see you before tonight." Mei sighed.

"_Yuuki—"_

"Don't tell me no, Mei. You'll regret it." He said with a sly smile. "I'll have Hiro drop you off at Haruka's hotel afterward. He's taking you to my place right now." He said with a tone of finality.

"_Fine." _She huffed.

"I love you,"

_"I love you." _He smiled again before disconnecting the call. But his emotions changed as he sighed deeply, turning back to Sakura. "Her father beats her." He repeated sadly. Sakura racked her brain. How could she have missed this? With the Daimyo lying about the cause for the mission, she should've examined the details. At first she suspected a father just trying to protect his daughter, but…She closed her eyes and thought back. '_Real ugly. Near abortion, nasty fights, threatened exposure…' 'Haruka, the Daimyo is a very powerful, terrifying man. The fact that his word is strongest in the land makes everything worse. He will stop at nothing to make sure I am unhappy, and that is a very scary thought…' _He kidnapped her for Kami's sake! Mei all but told Sakura that she was getting abused by her father. Even her mother gave her hints. How could she have missed this?

"How do you…how do you know?" She asked softly as he sighed.

"We fuck all the time, Haruka. I know her body like the back of my hand. I know what should hurt, and what shouldn't hurt. I can tell when something is amiss." He shook his head. "She's so scared of him, and he knows that. Being the Daimyo, there's really nothing she can do about it either. If he sends for her, she has to go." Sakura frowned. No wonder Mei was debating whether or not to take the call.

"So Hiro is—"

"Hiro is Mei's bodyguard. The Daimyo has to at least respect her protection detail." Sakura remembers Mei sending Hiro away before they went to her mother's house. _Hiro probably thought her mother was dead, too. _She thought with a frown. "I don't need protection. I'm a rich man, Haruka, but no one wants me dead. Well, other than the Daimyo." Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Why would he want you dead?" He narrowed his eyes.

"So I won't marry his precious daughter." He spat. "Actually, that's not even his daughter. The only thing that makes them related is his developed sperm. Nothing else. _They are not family._" Yuuki finished darkly. If the Daimyo is abusing Mei, he cares nothing for her wellbeing and only for her unhappiness. So he forbids her even to get married? That seems like a little much...

"Why doesn't he want the two of you to get married?" Yuuki scoffed.

"If I get married to Mei, whatever binding contract she has to her "father" will end." Bingo. "She won't have to stay with him any longer. She can live with me. She can be safe. I've never even spoken to the man and I know he's a horrible person. If Mei hadn't forbid me of ever going near him, he would've gotten far more than a piece of my mind." So Mei has covered her bases. She's forbidden Yuuki from speaking to her father, but even so he's still the Daimyo. If he sends for someone they can't just refuse...Sakura bit her lip as she processed the new information. But if her father exposed Mei for who she was, Sakura was sure she would have no further qualms in exposing her father for the child-abuser he is...In that moment he would lose his place of power. Not soon after that would the mission request he sent out be found. It wasn't exactly lawful, but understandable circumstances, when he hired their team under the pretenses of trying to expose a man who beat his fiancée. But now there are no pretenses since the Daimyo himself is the criminal. And she was sure this mission wasn't discussed with his council because of it's details, and she was also sure his council would hire their police force to investigate the matter, rather than a stripper, her boyfriend, his advisor, and her brother. To add to the account, Mei's father is abusing his power as Daimyo and keeping his daughter locked under his supervision even though she's way past the age of consent. According to Mei's mother, it wasn't a total dictatorship. Maybe _then_ it wasn't, when Mei was only a baby. Her father has been in power almost 18 years...clearly he would like to keep it this way. When Mei got married to Yuuki and the "binding contract" she had to her father ended, she could bare all of his abusive ways to the public. The Daimyo would _still_ lose power. He didn't have very many ways to keep Mei bound to him and keep her from talking, but whatever unlawful way he did have he was holding on to it. And he got Team 7 involved in it too. It seemed they got a little more than they asked for with this mission. She heard Yuuki sigh again. "I don't mean to bother you with my problems." Sakura shook her head and smiled back at him, finally moving over to a bench to change. She put her back to him and let the towel fall.

"It's no problem, really. Now, if you don't mind turning around again…" She heard him hum.

"Nice tattoo." She blushed again, quickly pulling her shirt over her head.

"Yeah, whatever." She grumbled. "Can you tell me what else Mei has planned for me today? I don't really favor surprises." She stepped into her panties and then shimmied into her denim shorts.

"I'm sorry, she made me promise not to tell." Sakura rolled her eyes before standing. "I do have to say that I don't approve, though. And I'm sure Sai doesn't either. Maybe if I call him—"

"He left." Sakura replied indifferently. She shrugged at his reaction and slipped into her flip-flops. Yuuki blinked.

"I didn't—" He started, another apology on his lips. Sakura held up a palm.

"It's _fine._" Although it wasn't. She was left completely alone on this mission. No connection to Naruto whatsoever. She had a feeling he was watching her every move, but if she wasn't in any immediate danger, he wouldn't show himself. And she couldn't summon him since she couldn't mold chakra. She would have to wait until Kakashi gave the say-so, and she had no idea where the hell _he _was, so that would be another surprise. The whole leader scale thing kept coming around to bite her in the ass. Sasuke purposely left her with no contacts. But she'd be fine. She had her lead, and Kakashi said he would show up on Saturday, regardless of her dancing status, so the mission would still go on. But still… "Besides, I can do whatever I want now, especially those activities you're so against." She gave him a wink before linking her arm with his. "But my hotel is a little far from here, so if you don't mind…" He smiled down at her as they left the bath house. She pressed her lips together to hold back her own. "Some things just don't change, Yuuki." He shrugged as she pursed her lips, her smile finally breaking through.

"I guess not." She turned her attention to the road ahead. "Maybe your employment standing will…?" She shook her head as she chuckled, tapping a manicured finger to her temple. "Some things just don't change." He said, laughing. She raised her shoulders and her hands.

"You never know…"

* * *

><p>"You ever wanted to be a man, Mei?" Sakura inhaled sharply. "Fucking everything that walks that has tits and ass with no emotional attachment whatsoever?" She finished in one breath before exhaling deeply.<p>

"I do that sometimes," Mei started, blowing her breath upward. "Although they're not that attractive and never that good. I have to play blow-up doll a lot knowing I'm way better than that." She rolled her eyes as she shook her head.

"Well, besides the job." She rubbed her shoulders.

"Yeah, 'cause Kami knows the only men who come to lounges to fuck are the ones who don't get laid in the first place." She started laughing before a small cough broke out.

"Men could fuck their closest friend and not feel a thing. I don't get it." Mei frowned.

"Me neither. But I learned when that becomes a habit, they have no choice but to get attached and feel. And then love." Sakura frowned, removing the dwindling joint from her lips before exhaling.

"Isn't that what happened with you and Yuuki? That can't be real." Mei shrugged before taking a long pull.

"I thought that, at first. But me and Yuuki were more than "friends." We were best friends. We knew everything about each other, especially how to get on one another's last nerve. I knew that I would do whatever for him." She took another pull and exhaled. "I didn't plan on dancing for long. I actually didn't plan on anything. I just wanted to defy my father in any way possible. I didn't know what I wanted out of it. Living with my mother maybe…? I don't know. But then Yuuki comes to me with this big idea, and he wants me to help him. I didn't plan on a career, but I would do whatever for him." She took the small joint from her mouth and crushed it between her fingers before tossing it in the trash. "I went to some of the best schools and got the best education possible in this Village. I _always _know what I'm doing. And still, when I was around him, I felt so lost…like I knew nothing about anything. That feeling is so scary, Haruka. To have no idea what shit you might get into next because you're just so _blinded._ But spontaneity was so addicting to me—_Yuuki_ was so addicting to me, and I felt refreshed by it. When we started taking things day by day, it just happened. Friends or lovers, I was so close to Yuuki that I couldn't see him _not_ in my life. And thinking back on it, I'm glad I had no idea of what I was doing. If I did, then our love wasn't "reckless" enough." Mei smiled at a frowning Sakura. She smothered her own joint and tossed it.

"I'm starting to think Yuuki's a different breed of men." Sakura said, hearing Mei's laugh as a result. She must've been high because she was actually contemplating her words. "Spontaneity, huh?" She said, rolling the word around on her tongue.

She was already participating in a whole lot spontaneity. Sakura was a medic. She wasn't really one to take drugs for any other effect other than medicinal, and even then she preferred her own chakra to anything else. But she couldn't suppress her curiosity when Mei brought in a bag of marijuana and a few joints. So there they were. Mei was leaned against the outer wall of the tub, filling out her bra and underwear. Her legs were crossed as she lit the current joint held between her lips. Sakura was hunched over atop the toilet seat in a small camisole and her lace underwear, enjoying her high, as Mei passed her the joint. She happily took it.

"So what exactly is the breed of men that you're used to?" Sakura rolled her eyes as she exhaled.

"Sleazebags,"

"Virginity too?" Sakura threw her a look.

"Virginity _especially. _You?" Mei shrugged. "Was Yuuki the one who took your virginity?" Her face scrunched up in amusement.

"Oh no. I already had a large scarlet letter on my chest." Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"What happened to the man who did?" Mei rubbed her bare shoulder and smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I told you back then my only purpose was to defy my father. I was young and rebellious." Sakura pursed her lips.

"So you were—"

"Lesbian, yes." She shrugged.

"What about your first time with a man?" Mei shook her head at the memory.

"Stupid in love." Sakura scoffed.

"Weren't we all?" Mei laughed.

"Sleazebag?" Sakura pointed at her.

"Of course. The night he proposed." She rolled her eyes at her stupidity. "Then he had sex with a friend."

"That _bastard._" Mei gasped.

"My sentiments exactly." Mei paused for a moment.

"Would you ever do it?"

"What?"

"Sex with a friend. Spontaneity." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows as she considered the thought.

"Maybe if I was high enough." She said with a chuckle. Mei waved her away.

"Oh, weed won't make you do that." Sakura raised her shoulders.

"I don't know, one more drag of that stuff and I might." She said with a smile, raising the joint to her lips. "But then again, I have no friends at my disposal." She passed the joint to Mei.

"Friends, associates, strangers, what's the difference?" She said with a shrug, inhaling sharply. "The point is, you need some sex to get over Sai." She finished before finally exhaling upward. A cough broke out. She took the joint from her mouth and examined it with a scrutinizing look. "Ooh, that _is_ some strong stuff." Mei admitted with puckered lips as she waved the smoke away with one hand and held the joint out for Sakura in the other. Frowning, she took it.

"And sex is going to get my mind off of him?" She took a pull as Mei shrugged, a sly smile on her features. She wasn't exactly familiar with that theory…

"Eh, not exactly." Sakura's frown ran deeper, passing the joint back. "Like I said, the sex isn't that good there. But I _do_ have something to give it that extra kick. That and everything else for a few hours…" Mei mumbled the last part as Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Geez, Mei, you trying to get me to OD?" Mei laughed it off. _If only it was a joke._ Sakura frowned.

"Live a little!" She exclaimed. She seemed to be hearing that a lot lately… "Besides, these aren't dirty. Terumi makes them herself." Sakura withheld the urge to make a smart comment. Stripper and a drug dealer? She smacked her lips as she remembered her last encounter with drugs. Well no, _that_ was dirty. And almost killed her. Her common sense and skepticism were lost and faded the higher she got. She'd worry about the details later.

"What do you have?" Mei beamed, balancing the joint between her lips and using her hands to pull something from her bra.

"Ecstasy or molly?" She held out the colorful packets, one in each hand. "Now, ecstasy is a little more hardcore for your first time and it lasts longer. But if you're planning to get your feet wet, it's more fun." _And more dangerous._ Sakura recalled as she remembered all the active ingredients in the drug. Mei caught her eyeing the packet in her left hand. "Molly it is!" She exclaimed, dropping the small packet in Sakura's hand. She stared at it unsurely.

"I'm not taking this myself, am I?" Mei pursed her lips as she produced another packet from her bra.

"Now why would I let you have all the fun?" Sakura opened the packet and rolled the pill around her thumb and index finger.

"I hope I don't regret this…" Mei rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, when you're back in those booths having, well, _arguably_ the best sex of your life, you'll be thanking me."

* * *

><p>Sakura jumped up and down to the beat of the music. Her heightened senses screamed at the handsy touch of the man who seemed to be all too familiar with her ass. Not that she left much to cover it to begin with. She wore Ino's dress. Its camisole straps were thin and the material of the black dress hung low on her chest; the cut of her small breasts on display. The black material clung to her like a second skin, along with the pieces of her hair that stuck to the sweat on her body. The bottom part of her dress flared around her each time she moved, providing easy access to anyone who dared try. There were a lot of daredevils around her tonight. Especially the man behind her. She felt his exciting touch all over her.<p>

The song changed and she removed herself from his grasp. Mei was only a few steps away.

"The lights are beautiful aren't they?" Mei exclaimed, beaming as she tried to disentangle herself from her own beau.

"I've never seen them this bright." Sakura replied in awe as she stared above her. The blurriness of the lights and her colorful, spinning vision probably added to the effect. "Amazing." She felt so aware of everything and everyone. Her free limbs didn't mind being jerked away by another man. She happily obliged, and didn't mind that thing poking her in the ass either. She slinked her arms up behind her and wrapped them around his neck. She felt his steady hands encased around her small waist, rubbing her up and down. She _enjoyed _it.

The song changed again and she slipped away. Her eyes squinted as it focused on a tuff of dark brown hair in the distance. She sauntered over to the figure and pressed her chest hard against his back, slipping her hands under his shirt.

"Sakura?" He said, his voice with a hint of confusion.

"Sasuke-kun," She said in return as he turned to face her, her voice low. She stepped on the tips of her toes. Her lips started working on his neck.

"Sakura…" He moaned. Her mouth lingered at his ear before softly tugging at it.

"_Touch me."_ She breathed, her hands slipping into his shirt again. "I know you want to." His hands remained glued to his sides as his inner conflictions prevented him from moving. Her hand slowly slipped into the waistband of his pants. A gruntled sound emerged from his throat and electricity shot up his spine. Her lips made its way to his and he gave, overpowering her touch. His hands found her ass immediately and he squeezed. Her body melted perfectly against his. He could do this. He could forget—

She removed herself from his grasp and he immediately felt the loss of body heat. He panted slowly as she smiled. She loved putting him on edge, didn't she? She crooked her head slightly, nodding toward the back. She outstretched her arm and pulled on his hand. He took a cautious step forward. He could do this. He could forget—

He saw her eyes.

"Sakura?" She danced to music in her head instead of the sounds blaring around them.

"Yes?" She closed her eyes, raising her arms above her head.

"Your pupils are dilated." She slowed and opened her eyes, trying to narrow them.

"No they're not." He stepped closer to her, taking her chin in his fingers. "Okay, okay." She said laughing giddily, raising her hands in surrender.

"Are you drunk?"

"Nope." She tapped his nose and erupted in giggles. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Sakura, are you _high?_" He exclaimed. She gave him a goofy smile.

"Off of weed or a molly? Because I took both." She started giggling again as she ran a hand through his hair. He grabbed her wrists. She slipped from them and started tugging on his arms. "Come on, Sasuke-kun." She started dancing again.

"I'm not doing this when you're not in your right mind." He tried to reason. More so to himself than to her.

"Seems like the perfect time to me." She offered with a shrug.

"Sakura—"

"Haruka." She corrected as she tried her best to give him a pointed look, which had her in a fit of giggles again. "Oh, come on. Where's the confidence in your—"

"Sakura." He warned. She laughed and twirled herself using his hands. Her dress moved around her in a wild circle. He could see the curve of her ass each time she—He subtly shook his head.

"Once in a lifetime, Sasuke." She started dancing again, her voice nonchalant. "This chance might not come up again. It's now or never." She held her hand out as she continued to sway her hips to her imaginary music. A sly smile broke out on her face as she eyed him. He took her hand.

"Not now." He answered. She pulled her hand back and shrugged.

"Suit yourself." She laughed and twirled again before merging into the crowd. He watched her. Her arm was suddenly being jerked one way and he took a precautionary step forward but he saw she was laughing. He sighed, running a hand through her hair.

That was _not_ Sakura.

Sakura didn't readily agree to dance with any man, especially when she was forced. You couldn't force her to do _anything._ So he got upset when he saw the man behind her enjoying his dance a bit too much. Touching _his_ ass and _his_ breasts—he was furious.

"Hey—" Sakura started as she was roughly pulled aside. "What are you doing?" She exclaimed just as Sasuke's fist landed on his jaw. He slid a few feet back, cradling his chin in his hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" The man said. Not too angrily, Sasuke could hear the inebriation in his voice. He would know, especially since he was a little drunk himself…

Sakura appeared in front of him and pushed him in the chest. The impact was almost nonexistent. "Yeah, what the hell are you doing?" A person stooped down to help the man back to his feet. Everyone else ignored the rather normal scene.

"That's enough." He growled. What _was_ he doing? She tried pushing him again.

"Enough of _what?_" She turned quickly and made sure the man was okay before trying to push Sasuke again. He knew that would've normally hurt, but he really covered his bases last night… "What's wrong with you?" His eyes met her dilated ones. "Are you _drunk?_ Seriously?"

"Not about me." He dismissed her. He was a little juiced. Maybe a lot… "What's wrong with _you?_" He looked behind her and met Mei's cold eyes. What happened there?

"I'm enjoying my night." She said, crossing her arms and shoving her chin in the air.

"No, you're on drugs." He pointed out. "You—"

"No, _you_ left so _you_ have no control over me." She huffed. Mei grabbed her arm and started to pull her away. "He's really blowing my high, Mei." He heard her whisper. She turned back around once more. "You should've stayed wherever you ran off to last night." She mumbled as Mei succeeded in dragging her from the scene.

Why _didn't_ he?

He was comfortable with Naruto. Naruto didn't nag him, well, nag him like Sakura nagged him. He didn't pick fights or force him into arguments. He didn't cause his hair to gray. But then Naruto didn't get him aroused either…

He can't remember why he came here. Naruto got him juiced and got himself juiced. He remembers a faint warning before he passed out. Was it 'Don't go anywhere near, Sakura tonight?' or something like 'Don't go anywhere near my chakra tonight?' When he left Naruto's apartment he was nowhere near sober, and figured it was the latter seeing how the Kyuubi hated all Uchihas. Okay, he wasn't in his right mind when he left. But neither was Sakura right? So they were even. _No._ He thought. He impaired Sakura last night, so they weren't even. Why did he do that again? He remembers drinking a little wine last night as well. Even the littlest amounts of alcohol puts him on edge. And so did Sakura. He was practically dangling off of a cliff right now. His drunkenness didn't help anything, on top of the fact that he couldn't control himself while intoxicated. She had to know that right? She was the one who found that out. She had to sense that he wasn't in his right mind last night. Sakura couldn't possibly be holding a grudge over _that._ But if not that, which he knew it was, then it was definitely him leaving. Both of those together probably produced a very angry Sakura. So is that why she took drugs? To take some of the edge off? Well that just wasn't fair. Sasuke wanted to blow off some steam too, steam that _she _produced, but he couldn't look at another pill as long as he lived. Also her fault, her and the whole damn hierarchy of the Leaf Village—

Look at him. He was supposed to be enjoying his Sakura-free time, and he knew _that_ wouldn't last long because Naruto snitched to Kakashi, but here _he_ was, and here _she_ was, _offering him sex._ Why did he turn her down again? He considered finding her and changing his mind, but her drug-induced offer was probably all forgotten about with his last episode. He sighed. He was _always_ fucking something up. Sakura was a siren. A dangerous, seductive siren. Just her touch—

He was supposed to be enjoying his Sakura-free time. He intended to do just that.

* * *

><p>She continued to sway her hips and he continued to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. He was way too familiar with her body—like every other man tonight—and she's probably given him one too many dances. His words never stopped, and neither did his wandering hands, but she enjoyed it. This was what she was <em>supposed<em> to do. Enjoy. She was 23 for Kami's sake. She always went to night clubs yet she was always preoccupied with someone. There was a time she only danced with Neji, there was a time when Sasuke wouldn't _let her_ dance with anyone else, and then there was Ren…whatever they had during that time. But she loved the attention she got. She knew she never got enough of it. No wonder Ino associated herself with so many men. Although she _was_ still with Hatsuharu…The point was she loved attention and he was giving it to her, even if she knew his intentions. He was using her just as much as she was using him. She didn't mind.

She assumed he was handsome, but it was dark and her vision was a little off so she couldn't tell for sure. She was usually right when she assumed, anyway. She felt a hand snake up her thigh.

"Those aren't yours…" She whispered. He lowered his head so she could hear him.

"I can make them mine." He said seductively. She could smell the alcohol in his breath. She bit her lip. This was against her morals. But really, did morals even exist in this Village? But he _was_ a total stranger, that she knew for sure. She wouldn't be able to combat any infection he could give her. The fact that she didn't know him seemed to stand on top of all the other reasons she could just turn and walk away. She heard Mei's voice in her head. _Friends, associates, strangers, what's the difference? _Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the hand.

"Oh, what the hell," She muttered to herself. She led him by one hand to the back where the booths were. She knocked on the closest one and waited for a response. Her partner, apparently, would not. Actually, he was a little too eager. He sloppily pushed her into the door and reached an arm over her shoulder, twisting the knob himself. Well, it wasn't locked. She probably wouldn't stumble in on anyone. She hoped.

The Gods never did favor her, anyway.

* * *

><p>"What the hell are you doing?!" She screamed. High: gone.<p>

"What the hell are _you_ doing? I'm with a client!" Asami yelled back. Sakura stomped her heel on the floor as anger rose within her.

"That's my boyfriend!" Her voice was a high shrill now. Asami's scoff pushed the wrong button.

"Hell of a boyfriend." She remarked.

And she was right. Sasuke was one hell of a "boyfriend." She didn't feel sadness, or the need to cry. Her face was flushed red with anger, yes. But it wasn't even toward Sasuke this time. It should've been, but it wasn't. It never was, was it? She just, at that exact moment, had an overwhelming emotion coursing through her that told her to break this brown-haired beauty's face.

Asami had long since raised herself from Sasuke. Sakura didn't care for her barely clothed state, she just cared for her blood. She _craved_ it. All over her fingers. At that precise moment.

She could deal with Sasuke later. She always did.

"Another one, then." The man behind her slurred, trying to pull her away. She snatched her wrist from his grasp. Oh, her sex drive had dissipated. She was filled with something else now.

"Haruka!" Sasuke shouted from atop the bed. She ignored him. She'd deal with him later.

"What a relationship the two of you have—" She didn't get to finish her sentence because ten manicured digits were currently clawing at her throat and also cutting off her air supply. Asami scratched at them as she gaped.

"_Haruka!"_ It was getting easier to ignore him now. She could ignore everything. All she heard was the pulsing in her ears and the beautiful sound of someone not getting enough oxygen. She loved that sound. She was so caught up in her bliss, she didn't notice the heel coming straight for her rib cage.

She held her chest and stumbled back as Asami gasped for air. That hurt a lot more than it normally would. _Damn you, Sasuke._ But she'd deal with him later. He wouldn't jump in, anyway. He knew better. If he forced her to deal with him at that moment, there would be more than hell to pay. The throbbing in her ribs brought her from her thoughts. The pain was so much she thought the girl had punctured something.

When Sasuke took away her chakra, he took away one of her senses. Probably why she didn't see the fist aimed straight for her face.

Her eyes squeezed shut and her fingers held her nose tightly. She immediately tasted blood dripping down her throat and felt the wet substance on her fingers. She blinked a few times to get her vision back, but it was never totally there in the first place. Her fingers burned too; she looked down and noticed a few of her nails had been ripped off. Sakura always took care of her hands. As a Shinobi, there wasn't much to do to keep your hands from callousing and your nails from wearing down to the cuticle. But Sakura did. And now some of her nails were torn, leaving in its wake a jagged piece and a few spots of blood.

After the night was over, she would blame it on the dual effects of the drugs. Asami just kept evading her eyesight…She lunged for Sakura and they stumbled back, Sakura turning her around just in time to push her against the door of the booth, which seemed to be opening. Asami screamed as the force from the door hitting her back caused her body to arch. Sakura punched her in the jaw, she thinks, or something sharp enough to hurt her hand. She stumbled back and tried to recover, but the searing pain coming from her nose was affecting her eyesight as well. It didn't matter how doped up she was, her medical instinct told her to do a damage report. Just as she looked down to check why her hand was throbbing so painfully, more hands reached out for her, pulling her by her hair. Sakura felt unbearable pain as unwanted memories filled her skull. Thoughts of Grass ninja momentarily impaired her. She could still hear Sasuke, but he knew better than to get involved. She faintly heard a female voice—was that Mei? Asami pulled again and Sakura latched onto her own curly mass of hair, pulling her down just as she was getting pulled. But Asami was in heels and Sakura wasn't. Sakura tugged once more and Asami slipped forward, right into Sakura's waiting knee. She was getting used to her screams.

"Watch it, bitch. You don't know who you're dealing with." She growled, wiping the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. "You filthy—" Distracted again. Asami had recovered and mustered all of her strength into this push, it seemed. Sakura was flung back and didn't stop until she hit the bed post. The impact of the hit had her head hurling back and hitting the very thick, very wooden corner of the top of the bed post. Her eyesight went black and she slid to the floor unceremoniously.

"Haruka!" She heard her name shouted repeatedly and it was various voices, very distinct voices. But the pulsing from her head immediately blocked that out. Her eyes slid shut, she couldn't see anything out of them anyway. She thought she was unconscious, but she felt hands on her shoulders jolting her awake. Her eyes blinked open but there was colorful circles blocking most of her vision. The voices faded in slowly and then all at once, loud, intensifying the searing pain at the base of her skull. Someone was screaming. Why was someone screaming when her head hurt so much? She felt a hand caress her face and felt the pulling of her muscles. Her mouth was open. Oh, _she_ was screaming. She didn't have much will at the moment to get herself to stop, but her lungs must've ran out of air so she did. But she could still talk, that was good.

"Sakura! Sakura!" She heard someone whisper. That wasn't Sasuke's voice…

"Haruka!" _That_ was. Thoughts of him half naked on the bed that caused her doom rushed behind her eyelids. She squeezed her eyes shut as her vision came flooding back. Even the dim light in the room hurt to look at. Room? Where was she? _"Haruka! _Stop trying to talk!_"_ Sasuke again. He must've not heard her. She couldn't hear herself so how could she? She tried anyway.

"Oi, Sasuke-kun. Is it me or do we always end up like this?"

* * *

><p><strong>Early Saturday Morning<strong>

"Naruto, you have absolutely no channels. What are you paying for here?" Sasuke stood near the television, incessantly clicking buttons on the remote as Naruto burst through the door. "I would've thought—" The remote flew from his hand as his shoulder was sharply pulled back and a fist connected with his jaw. He stumbled back. "You wanna pick a fight, Naruto?" Sasuke growled as Naruto raised his fists, ready to strike again. Sasuke swung, but his fist was slow and Naruto ducked under his arm and moved behind him. He clipped Sasuke by his legs and pushed him onto the floor.

"You're drunk." He spat. Sasuke rolled over and wiped his mouth. He held himself up by his hands.

"And you're not. We're even." Naruto had no time for jokes. He brought his foot back and kicked him in the stomach. "Kick me while I'm down, huh?" He said, amusement in his voice as he coughed. Blood trickled down his lip. Naruto brought his foot back again and aimed it for his face. Sasuke caught it but his hands were weak. Naruto snatched him up by the collar of his shirt. "Naruto, what the hell do you want me to do? Apologize? I'll apologize." He threw him back on the couch and the piece of furniture slid back. He paced once across the living area before kicking the small, glass coffee table against the wall. It shattered.

"An apology_?_ That's what you have? A fucking _apology?_" Sasuke looked on, his expression stoic. "You owe her your soul!" He indifferently ran a hand through his hair.

"That's already gone." He stated, rubbing a hand against his jaw. Naruto stopped in front of him and put his hands on his hips.

"Kami knows I try so damn hard to stay out of your _bullshit._ Because really, what can I do? I sit back, and I watch, and I grit my fucking teeth while you prance along doing whatever the hell you want to because you don't give a damn about her! So many times I _dreamed_ of ripping you a new one, but I _promised._ I promised my best friend not to get in between your shit because she claims she's grown, and she can handle all of your bullshit by herself." He pressed his lips together. "I did it to Neji, and I did it to Ren. What makes you so immune? The fact that you're my _brother?_ Hell no! That shouldn't matter! Not when it comes to Sakura!" He yelled. "But it does. It matters to her. It matters to the girl who continuously puts up with you time and time again, and handles it time and time again, and I have to watch her soul wither away. _Time and time again._" He growled through gritted teeth. "Why do you do this to her? Huh?" Sasuke looked on. Naruto grabbed him by his shirt. "If you don't love her, why do you play these cat and mouse games with her? Because you know she'll come back?" He scoffed and threw him back down. "Well, you were right about one thing back then, Teme. Sakura just keeps coming back to your dumbass. She keeps coming back to the sadist. The bipolar maniac. The bastard who will do anything to see her cry for his own sexual pleasure—"

"You think that's who I am?!" Sasuke shouted.

"You have _yet_ to prove anyone otherwise!" Naruto shouted back as Sasuke pulled at his scalp.

"You think I enjoy this? You think I can help it?" Naruto pointed a finger at him.

"You had help! You had all the help in the whole damn world at your fingertips, but you _chose—_" He shot up.

"I _chose_ reality! You know what those pills did to me!" He yelled, pounding a fist on his chest. "Horrible hallucinations that were supposed to curb my anger and my pleasure in pain. I can't look at the world through rose-colored glasses, Naruto! That isn't real. You and I both know that." He shook his head. "There are some things in life that you just can't cope with. That anti-depressants _can't_ fix. My family was slaughtered when I was seven, Naruto. They aren't coming back. And I can't cope with that. I can never cope with that. I can never cope with trying to kill my brother, when in turn he was just a manipulation of this damn Village! I can't cope with that same Village trying to shove pills down my throat and trying to force me to cope with things when it _can't. Be. Done."_ He finished darkly. "I'm a bad person. You and everyone else who saw me descend into a pit of darkness knows that. You all knew what you were bargaining with when you chased me. Yet you still brought me back." He said, outstretching his arms. "I _enjoy_ pain. I _enjoy_ misfortune. I can't help that, and no amount of pills can help that either. But I try to stay stress free. I try to keep a lid on my anger. I do what this goddamned Village tells me to do because _one_ mistake, _one_ slip-up, _one_ more rampage and I'm back on those pills. I'm back to being probed by Inoichi and all those interrogators trying to find out what the hell is wrong with me when I don't even know myself." He said with raised shoulders. "So I've learned to stay calm, and meditate, and not to react. But that _woman._" He pointed to the door. "She puts me on edge in every sense of the word. She makes me so damn _angry—"_

"So angry that you have to sleep with a woman to get back at her?" Naruto retorted. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"She knows what I am. She fed me the goddamned pills herself! She knows how much pain I can cause to everyone around me just by opening my mouth. _She knows. _Why do I do things to hurt her? I don't know." He turned away. "And somewhere inside of me, I know its wrong. But I can't...I realize that's just who I am, someone who will keep hurting her. And deep inside, she knows I'm a bad person, too. She knows that I will never change. That I _can't _change. But on the surface? She sees what I show her. She sees my practice, and my calmness, and she thinks those pills have worked. Because I _am_ trying, Naruto. I'm trying to be a good person. For _her._ You don't care who I am. I've showed you the rawness of my soul. The monster that I am. But _Sakura?_ You think if she sees what Inoichi sees that she'll come running back like she always does? She's foolish for loving me." Naruto seethed.

"_Foolish?_ She's _foolish_ for trying to save you?" He asked incredulously.

"I can't be saved!" Naruto shook his head and stepped away from him. Before he hit him. Before he killed him.

"You're worth saving to her." Sasuke's eyes widened for a split second before narrowing.

"_Why?"_ He yelled.

"Sakura sees the good in everyone. Even if you can't see it yourself." He scoffed. "She loves you wholeheartedly and gives her all to you. And you can't even respect her by trying to give her something back." Sasuke turned to face him.

"Here's the thing, Naruto: there's nothing 'whole' left in me. She deserves the purest love possible. And I…I can't give that to her." His voice cracked as he finally broke and his indifferent ruse faded. "But I'm giving her all I have. It's not enough at times, and sometimes all I have hurts her. But that doesn't mean I don't love her. I don't have much to give, but I'm _trying._" He said sincerely.

"Try harder, Sasuke." He walked toward the door as Sasuke sat back down on the couch, exhausted and spent. He ran a tired hand through his hair.

"What am I supposed to do, Naruto?" He narrowed his eyes.

"You hurt her, Sasuke. Physically and mentally. An apology just can't make up for that." He spat coldly. "Last time you did something like this, she ran away from us for two years." He twisted the knob and opened the door. "I don't care what you have to do. It better be good enough to make her stay. Because if she leaves again, just know there won't be a lot of forgiveness on my side."

* * *

><p><strong>Now<strong>

The events slowly came back to her, accompanied with a slight tinge of pain in her chest.

"Yuuki and Mei wouldn't leave until they knew you were alright. So he threatened a doctor to take a look at you. That's why it took so long to get you here. We had to wait for one of those bum ass civilians to wake up." He grumbled. She chuckled at his pout.

"Naruto…" She started, looking him up and down. He looked tired, like he had been running around all night. Which he has. For _her. _And her stupid boy problems. "Thank-you." She said lightly touching his arm. He placed his hands on top of hers.

"No biggie." He mustered a smile. "I had loads of alcohol in me but Kurama burned it off pretty quickly. I wasn't really out for long." She frowned.

"When was the last time you slept, Uzumaki?" She said, her medic instinct taking over. He rubbed a hand behind his head.

"Eh…" If she wasn't so weak she would smack him.

"I can tell it's been a while. You don't look so well." He turned his nose up at her.

"You're talking, Haruno? Give me your clean bill of health or call it even." She rolled her eyes. His softened as he moved closer. "Give me the word, Sakura. I'll handle him. I'll handle all of it. _Just give me the word." _He said through gritted teeth. His face was serious as his blue eyes searched hers. She rolled her eyes again.

"I can handle it, Naruto. I've been handling it." He sighed exasperatedly.

"Sakura—" His voice was clearly annoyed.

"We'll be fine. We always are." She said in a reassuring tone. He shook his head.

"My loyalty is to you, Sakura. Always has been, always will be. He may be my brother, but you come first. My loyalty is to _you_." He repeated more slowly. "Forget this mission. If you want him off, he's off. No questions asked." She bit her lip. She couldn't think about what she wanted. She couldn't think about anything. Everything still hurt, and the steady, dull pain in the base of her skull reminded her of it. But she had no time to be selfish right now. She had to stay on course. There was still a mission to be completed and she had enough on her plate as is. Naruto giving Sasuke a good beating would be well deserved, but that's not what she wanted. She had no tears, no vindictiveness, and no plots of revenge in her heart. She just wanted to move on. And maybe at another treaty exchange, another interrogation, he can bare all then. But she didn't want that right now. "Is that what you want?" She shook her head.

"The team comes first." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Always has."

"Despite what my anger and selfishness tries to tell me, Sasuke and I are partners right now. And the four of us are a team. I can't compromise the mission because of my quick temper anymore." She said quietly as Naruto sighed.

"Then you know what you have to do." She nodded. _Move on. _"Don't hesitate, Haruno. You don't have to do this." She shook her head again.

"I'll be fine, Naruto. I'm used to it." She gave him a smile. He could feel the pain behind her words and behind her fake smile. He was angry. Furious, was a more fitting term. And the only way he could calm down was by hitting Sasuke again. But he already hit him enough to bruise, and there was no doubt that Sakura would be more worried about the promise he made to her than his doing what was right. Which, in that moment, was hurting Sasuke. "Is Kakashi somewhere here?" He blinked out of his thoughts.

"Kakashi's a few towns over." She blinked a few times, not really registering the information.

"He's where?" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, expecting her reaction to be a little louder.

"He said being in this Village risks him getting seen, so he traveled a few towns over." She rested a shaky hand against her forehead. "I know he said Saturday, but right now you need him. You and Haruka. But Hatashi isn't supposed to show up when you need him, even though when he's your partner he does." She exhaled before her eyes widened slightly, bringing a stronger pain.

"What about the—" He held up a palm.

"Press? Everything's already taken care of. You're sick at home so you can't make it, but you're going to be represented as the newest dancer at the Kansai longue." She sunk down into her pillow in relief. He patted her thigh and rose from the bed. "I'll be right in the other room, Sakura. If you need something, yell." She nodded as he pulled the covers above her shoulders.

"Naruto." She called as he was about to exit the bedroom. He turned and faced her, his eyebrows raised. "You already "handled" Sasuke, didn't you?" He gave her a sheepish look. She exhaled before nodding. "Thank you. For everything." He gave her a two finger salute before walking through the doors.

"My loyalty is to you, Haruno."

* * *

><p>She lit the last candle and moved to sit on the couch. Regular light was too much for her. Everything was too much for her, but she didn't really want to dwell on that.<p>

They both sat stiffly beside each other, the only thing heard was their various breaths and the low hum from the heat of the candle.

"Sakura." She fisted the fabric of her oversized sweater between her fingertips. "There's no right way for me to do this. No right way for me to explain—" She slowly shifted over and sat near him, resting her head on his shoulder. He was tense, but soon relaxed. She rubbed the material over her bare legs. "You can't forgive me, Sakura. For what I've done—for what I _do._"

"I do, Sasuke." He tensed again, looking at her. _Forgive, forget, and sweep under the rug._ It was a cycle she could never escape, and she knew that now. Whether or not she was at peace with it…that would come in due time. Maybe in two more years he could explain to her why he did it. But not now. Not now. He exhaled shakily.

"Will you stay? Not for me, but—well, for me, and Naruto. And Kakashi. Will you stay?" She heard his vulnerability. She nodded her head against his shoulder and she felt him relax again.

"Always." She answered. That word meant so much more than not running off on a quest for more power, to get stronger because she still gets hurt, to find meaning in something, meaning in _herself—_It was a word that was signed in blood on her forehead. It was their curse, Sasuke and Sakura. They were governed by fate. _Always._ She would always forgive, and always forget, and always sweep under the rug. Because she didn't know how to do anything else. She grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.

"Dirty porn?" He asked.

"The dirtiest." She answered plainly, biting down as hard as she could on her lip to keep the tears brimming her eyes at bay.

They would always be fine. She would always come back.

Because they're bound together by this cursed cycle.

_Always._

* * *

><p><em>I promised, and I really hope I delivered! I tried to get this chapter up a little faster than the last one *sweatdrops.* Also, there may be some misconceptions with the drugs in the story. I've never taken a molly, so I did a little research and used my own creativity. I'm sorry I'm not the FDA but I do the best I can. Since I've kept you all waiting for so long, I'm going to drop a little spoiler so I don't get anymore threats, lol. I know the SasuSaku has been a little heavy these past few chapters. It was promised in the beginning. But don't worry, I'm easing up on it. A lot. And—drumroll please—Kakashi comes back next chapter! Stay tuned, <em>

_-Keoo19_


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